On Saturday, September 21, 2024, tourists relaxing on the beach in Jastarnia, on the Hel Peninsula, had the chance to see a white rainbow. But it wasn’t just there. Photos of the phenomenon quickly appeared on Facebook, taken in other locations such as Władysławowo, Jastarnia, as well as near Kraków and on Mount Śnieżnik (Eastern Sudetes). One internet user even saw the white rainbow a few days earlier, on Tuesday, September 17, on the beach in Dąbki.
White rainbow over the Baltic Sea. Tourists are amazed by the rare phenomenon
A photo of the white rainbow was shared on Facebook by *Lubuskie Storm Chasers*, and soon after, other users posted their own pictures. The unusual phenomenon fascinated internet users, who commented on the post:
For the first time, I’ve seen something like this.
Wow, incredible, it looks beautiful.
This is a wonder of nature, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.
An otherworldly view that mesmerizes. Fog and sunlight play a big role in this.
Tourists witnessed a white rainbow. How does this extraordinary phenomenon occur?
A traditional rainbow is caused by the refraction of sunlight in water droplets, usually from rain. But with a white rainbow, it’s similar—except dense fog appears in front of the sun, which illuminates it with parallel rays. That’s why this phenomenon is most easily observed in the early morning or evening when the sun is below 30-40 degrees above the horizon.
However, when viewed from a sloped area, it can occur at any time of day, or even at night. It’s worth noting that a white rainbow can also form when dense fog is illuminated by the light of the moon or car headlights.
