As a photographer, one of the most elusive subjects to photograph in Yosemite are moonbows. Though they may sound like it, moonbows are not a type of fish. Moonbows are rainbows that appear when moonlight strikes Lower Yosemite Fall just right. Unfortunately, until now photographing one has relied heavily on chance but that has all changed now that a team of Texas State University-San Marcos researchers have applied physics to the problem.
Texas State physics professors Donald Olson and Russell Doescher, along with Mitte Honors students Kellie Beicker, Ashley Ralph and Hui-Yiing Chang, developed a computer program which would allow the accurate prediction of dates and times favoring the appearance of moonbows at the Yosemite waterfalls.
Texas State University News: “The research team quickly established six criteria necessary for Yosemite moonbows to form, which they modeled with their software: clear skies around the moon; abundant mist at the base of the falls; dark skies; bright moonlight; moonlight not blocked by mountains; and correct rainbow geometry. Determining the precise topography and geometry to satisfy the final two criteria in the program required on-site research, and in September of 2005 the Texas State group traveled to Yosemite.
The resulting data gained from extensive surveying and on-site topographical research paid off immediately. Upon return to Texas, Olson and his team discovered why a moonbow anticipated by photographers on the evening of June 22, 2005 failed to appear despite apparently perfect conditions. Due to the unique geometry involved, Olson realized that the moonbow did in fact appear–but not until 12:45 a.m., long after the photographers had given up and gone home for the night, thus proving the value and usefulness of the Texas State researchers’ efforts.”
If you’d like to check out their findings (and see when the next moonbow is), check out Professor Done Olsons page at the Texas State University website: http://uweb.txstate.edu/~do01/
Here are some awesome photos of moonbows the researchers collected: Image 1 (Photo by Brent Gilstrap), Image 2 (Photo by Kim Setinbacher), Image 3 (Photo by Grant Johnson), Image 4 (Photo by Robert Stavers).
If you’ve got moonbow photos you’d like to share please, send them to me. I’ll post a couple of the really good ones I get.
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Comments
One response to “Let’s Go Catch Some Moonbows”
HI, I’m a long time photographer and i want to share the MoonBow of both lower yosemite and Upper yosemite Falls with others – but i do not know how to tell which dates are best or worst. I see the Texas St. univ. dates published – but they don’t tell if all of those dates are good or poor. Obviously, if the moon is too high when its opposite you and the falls, the moonbow will not be any good – How do I know which dates in May will work, and if they are nearly as good as the April dates. I DON’T WANT TO HAVE PEOPLE DRIVE FOR MANY HOURS FOR A POTENTIALLY POOR OR JUST MEDIOCRE MOONBOW? CAN YOU TELL ME HOW GOOD THE MAY DATES ARE AS COMPARD TO THE APRIL DATES WHICH I SAW? THANK YOU, IRA – ira@sti.net