Yosemite Falls Moonbow

Last weekend was full moon and I happened to be in Yosemite. Luckily, the sky was clear and the waterfalls roaring. Everything was set for a nice moonbow show.

So what is a moonbow? A moonbow is a rainbow lit by the light of the moon instead of the sun. Sometimes it is also called lunar rainbow. This is best seen with a full moon. Since our eyes don’t see colors well during the night, a moonbow might appear as a white bow. But our digital cameras have no problem capturing colors at night.

I first photographed the entire cliff of Yosemite Falls including the upper and lower falls. There was a hint of color at the bottom of the upper fall. But this was barely a moonbow.

Yosemite Falls with Moonbow
Yosemite Falls with Moonbow

There was just not enough water and spray in the air.

Upper Yosemite Falls with Moonbow
Upper Yosemite Falls with Moonbow

Later (and almost a bit too late) we moved over to the base of lower Yosemite Falls. I expected to get soaked with spray, but was happy when I stayed dry. Even with bare eyes I could see a white bow. I was excited when I saw the color picture on the back of my camera.

Lower Yosemite Falls with Moonbow
Lower Yosemite Falls with Moonbow





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