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For background, I was on a tour coming back from Ballestas Islands just off of Peru, around 11:00 a.m., no rain (it's a desert area), sky was partly cloudy. The phenomenon stayed a couple of minutes. As we progressed, the colours merged to a strand of amber.
Super interesting that this is an entirely different mechanism from a rainbow.
The way they are describing it isn't entirely accurate.
It's not an interference pattern, it's basic refraction. And since each wavelength of incoming "white" light is refracted slightly different, you get the rainbow display
You are correct! I think the use of the word "diffraction" is a bit confusing because "diffraction patterns" are an interference effect.
So is this any different than a rainbow? The path of light must be at least different since rainbows only occur in the opposite direction of the Sun.
No it's the same effect. Suspended water particulate refracting sunlight.