Why Do Rainbows Always Appear Opposite the Sun?

课文

1. Rainbows form when sunlight enters raindrops, bends, reflects once inside, and exits at a specific angle.

   彩虹形成于阳光射入雨滴后发生折射、在内部反射一次，再以特定角度射出的过程。

2. This bending—called refraction—separates white light into its rainbow colors like a prism does.

   这种弯曲现象称为折射，它将白光分解为彩虹的各色光，原理如同棱镜。

3. Because the light must reflect at about 42 degrees from the original sunbeam, you only see the arc opposite the sun.

   由于光线需以约42度角相对于原太阳光束反射，你只能看到太阳正对面的弧形。

4. If you face away from the sun with rain in front of you, the geometry aligns perfectly for a rainbow to appear.

   当你背对太阳、前方有雨时，几何条件恰好满足，彩虹便会出现。

5. No two people see the exact same rainbow, since each observer’s position changes the raindrops involved.

   没有两个人能看到完全相同的彩虹，因为每位观察者的位置不同，所涉及的雨滴也不同。

6. The center of the rainbow’s circle is always the shadow of your head—the antisolar point—making it personal and fleeting.

   彩虹所在圆圈的中心始终是你头部的影子——即反日点，因此彩虹是私密而短暂的。

7. Double rainbows occur when light reflects twice inside the drop, reversing color order and appearing fainter.

   双彩虹由光线在雨滴内反射两次形成，颜色顺序相反，且亮度更弱。

8. You’ll never find the rainbow’s end because it’s not a physical object—it’s an optical pattern shaped by light and perspective.

   你永远找不到彩虹的尽头，因为它并非实体，而是由光线与视角共同构成的光学现象。