Abstract
ABOUT the middle of August, whilst standing on platform of the station at Exmouth, I witnessed a phenomenon which I think is rare enough to be worthy of record. The sun was about an hour off the western horizon, and the river, which is to the west of the station, and is in that part about a mile and a-half broad, was perfectly calm; but there must have been a breeze blowing overhead, for a heavy shower of rain came rapidly up from the westward, and when it had passed to leeward displayed the two ordinary rainbows brightly; and not only these, for between them appeared the arcs of a third bow cutting the other two, the inner one on the horizon and the outer about ten degrees or thereabouts above it. This third rainbow appeared to have its centre as much above as that of the ordinary rainbow was below the horizon, and was due to the reflection of the sun from the calm surface of the river. The arcs of the third rainbow extended but a very small distance beyond the secondary bow, but were bright enough at the intersection to show a sort of check-work of colours, which presented a most curious appearance.
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MALLOCK, A. Treble Rainbow. Nature 7, 46 (1872). https://doi.org/10.1038/007046c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/007046c0
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