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Misty mornings in Vancouver create ‘fogbows’

Vancouverites are taking to social media to post pictures of fogbows, a misty cousin of rainbows. (Reddit, u/crazy_onions)
Vancouverites are taking to social media to post pictures of fogbows, a misty cousin of rainbows. (Reddit, u/crazy_onions)
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Vancouverites are delighted by a foggy phenomenon taking shape this week in clear, blue skies.

A picture posted to Reddit Wednesday morning shows a cloudy arch taking shape over a field.

The photo was captioned “fog rainbow this morning?”

A portmanteau of those two words, fogbow, is the name of this particular weather spectacle, and a close cousin to the rainbow, according to the Weather Network.

Unlike their colourful counterparts, which are made up of water droplets, fogbows consist of small beads of mist. That’s the primary reason fogbows look less colourful and more washed out—their droplets are smaller and reflect less light.

According to Farmers’ Almanac, the best time to spot a fogbow is in the morning or evening, since the sun has to be at a 30-40 degree angle from the mist.

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