Weather Phenomena: Rainbows, Halos, and Mirages

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Rainbows: Formed by the refraction, dispersion, and reflection of sunlight in raindrops, rainbows display a spectrum of colors, with red on the outer edge and violet on the inner edge.

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Halos: Optical phenomena where light is refracted or reflected by ice crystals in the atmosphere, creating a circular ring around the sun or moon.

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Mirages: Caused by the bending of light in varying temperature layers, mirages create optical illusions, such as seeing water or objects that are not actually present.

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Double Rainbows: Occur when sunlight undergoes two internal reflections inside raindrops, resulting in a secondary, fainter rainbow outside the primary one.

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Circumhorizontal Arcs: Formed by the refraction of sunlight through hexagonal ice crystals, these arcs appear as horizontal rainbow-like bands, often seen in cirrus clouds.

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Sun Dogs: Bright spots on either side of the sun caused by the refraction of sunlight through ice crystals, commonly visible in cold, icy atmospheres.

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Green Flash: A rare phenomenon occurring just before sunset or after sunrise when the upper edge of the sun appears briefly green due to atmospheric refraction.

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Fogbows: Similar to rainbows but appearing in foggy conditions, fogbows lack the vibrant colors of rainbows, displaying a white or faintly colored arc.

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