Orkney Image Library

Curious that the sky is noticably brighter inside the rainbows arc.

Good old Roy G Biv showing up well. A wonderfully evocative picture. Even the slightly curved horizon doesn't bother me; it helps the viewer feel 'in' the kayak (much as that might be inconvenient for you Johnny).

Incidentally, this pic debunks the 'best explanation' - for why the sky appears brighter inside the arc - recently given on a website: namely that the multicoloured arc itself simply blots out part of the sky's natural transition from darker to lighter as your eye moves down towards the horizon, thus making the change appear more abrupt than it is. Here we can see that even AT the horizon the sky is darker inside the arc. The true explanation is a little more complicated - well-nigh impenetrable to what's left of my brain - but maybe someone will have a go at expounding it in simple layman's terms . . ?

For 'darker' please read 'lighter' in the penultimate sentence of my previous comment. Sorry. (I've often thought if we were given a bigger box to write our comments in we wouldn't make so many mistakes - but I can't blame the size of the box for this one.)

I think the 'best explanation' is correct and that the sky at the left of the rainbow just happens to be naturally darkening

Sorry Alan, can't buy that. Why is there never a meteorologist around when you need one?
(This is my first opportunity to comment since our esteemed webmaster became OIC Convener. Congratulations Steven and best of luck!)

[Cheers Ian!]