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Observation report recieved by Barlow Pepin:
> "...we missed the lunar eclipse due to a time zone confusion,
> but saw something I hadn't heard of before: a moonbow. We
> were on top of a mountain, with fog banks rolling in and out
> around us, and at one point the fog built up on one side
> only, and opposite from the moon. That was when we saw the
> moonbow -- a softly glowing semicircle on the fog bank. We
> couldn't distinguish any colors, and after a while the fog
> receded, taking the moonbow with it.
By my experience, in Finland, the fogbows formed by moonlight
are quite an easy phenomenon to catch if an observer goes "to
hunt" this. Of it is not so easy, that you just go out and
see it.
There should be at first clear wheather so that Moon is visible,
the the phase of Moon should enough big and the altitude suitable.
Of course have had fog too. In Finland August and September are
the best month for observing lunar fogbows. We have record a
couple of observation and few photographs exist also.
The real lunar rainbow is, in my opinion, the real pearl of
the atmospheric observer. In Finland I have heard about only one
observation (just drawing, no photograph). The observation
was made by Tuula Laukkanen. This brought our annual Stella
Arcti award to her.
I have seen one photograph of lunar rainbow in Sky and Telescope
some years ago. There surely are some, but not many.
Of course there are not any extraordinary in lunar rainbow, but
what makes the phenomenon exciting, is the rareness of existence.
You should have just suitable conditions: Moon phase, altitude,
open sky in direction of Moon ... and rain. Again August is the
best month in Finland.
-Veikko Makela-
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