Indiana Storm Chasers

Wacky Weather Wednesday!

Here's a little slice of Hoosier heaven; a vibrant sunset rainbow with some spider lightning slyly sneaking into the frame. Which do you think is closer to the viewer: The rainbow, or the lightning?

This is a bit of a trick question as a rainbow is not a single "object". Rather, it is the diffraction of sunlight through millions of raindrops falling across several square miles of countryside. Meanwhile, the lightning (made of plasma; i.e. ionized gas) is following a specific, well-defined path through the atmosphere.

But if you HAVE to have a technical answer, the rainbow in this case is "closer" because the sunlight-defracting drops are closer to the viewer than the lightning strike. This is not always the case, however; lightning can still strike dangerously close even during a pretty post-storm rainbow scene!

Stay aware, stay safe and don’t get twisted!

Photo by ISC's Josiah Maas last month in Montgomery County, IN.