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I saw a strange rainbow, at the wrong height compared with a normal one. It is supposedly impossible to see a rainbow at any other angle than around 42 degrees, but the arc of my “low bow” looked like 21 degrees. Can anyone explain? (continued)

Ed: The previous letters about this “low bow” (31 July) concluded that it must have appeared when the sun was high in the sky. However, Guy Cox, who spotted the low rainbow (pictured), has clarified that it occurred in the late afternoon, when the sun was close to the horizon. He has photographed a “normal” rainbow at a similar time and season, so the sun’s elevation can’t account for the effect. The mystery continues. Any ideas?

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