TERMIUM Plus®

The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.

MOON BOW [1 record]

Record 1 2005-07-25

English

Subject field(s)
  • Atmospheric, Climatic and Meteorological Phenomena
DEF

Rainbow formed in the same way as the solar rainbow, but with light from the Moon rather than the Sun.

CONT

A night time rainbow is sometimes called a moon bow because it is a reflection of the light of the moon. ... Any rainbow comes from light hitting drops of rain and going into the drop and being reflected off of the inside edge. As the light leaves the drop on it's return journey the other side of the drop acts like a prism and separates it into the colors of the rainbow. ... with moon light it makes something shaped like a rainbow with just a hint color. Moon bows occur in the side of the sky opposite the moon.

OBS

Even though the optics of both is the same, the luminance of the lunar rainbow is much lower. As a result of the eye's reduced sensitivity to color at low light levels, the bow may exhibit little color. There are several reasons why the lunar rainbow is seen much less frequently than the solar bow. While the moon and sun spend equal time above the horizon, when they are both present, only a solar bow can be seen. This, by itself, means that the lunar rainbow could form only half as often. Further, the moon goes through phases, and so even at night may not contribute enough light to produce a discernible bow. Finally, the convective showers in which the rainbow is frequently seen are much less common at night.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Phénomènes météorologiques, climatiques et atmosphériques
DEF

Arc-en-ciel formé de la même façon que l'arc-en-ciel solaire, mais dont la lumière provient de la Lune et non du Soleil.

CONT

Beaucoup plus rare et bien moins spectaculaire, l'arc-en-ciel lunaire est pour le reste similaire à l'arc-en-ciel solaire. C'est un arc [très peu] coloré [ordinairement blanchâtre, très peu d'auteurs disent y avoir distingué une ou deux couleurs] qui ne se présente qu'à l'observateur qui tourne le dos à la Lune [...]

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Fenómenos meteorológicos, climáticos y atmosféricos
DEF

Arco iris cuyo origen es el mismo que el de un arco iris normal, pero en el que la luz procede de la Luna en vez del Sol.

Save record 1

Copyright notice for the TERMIUM Plus® data bank

© Public Services and Procurement Canada, 2024
TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank
A product of the Translation Bureau

Features

Language Portal of Canada

Access a collection of Canadian resources on all aspects of English and French, including quizzes.

Writing tools

The Language Portal’s writing tools have a new look! Easy to consult, they give you access to a wealth of information that will help you write better in English and French.

Glossaries and vocabularies

Access Translation Bureau glossaries and vocabularies.

Date Modified: