Rainbows are some of the most spectacular optical phenomena in the natural world and Hawai‘i has an amazing abundance of them.
In a new publication, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa makes an impassioned case for Hawaii being the best place on Earth to experience the wonder of rainbows. He begins by highlighting the Hawaiian cultural significance of rainbows, he reviews the science of rainbows and the special combination of circumstances that makes Hawai‘i a haven for rainbows.
“The cultural importance of rainbows is reflected in the Hawaiian language, which has many words and phrases to describe the variety of manifestations in Hawai‘i,” said author Steven Businger, professor in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. “There are words for Earth-clinging rainbows (uakoko), standing rainbow shafts (kāhili), barely visible rainbows (punakea), and moonbows (ānuenue kau pō), among others. In Hawaiian mythology the rainbow is a symbol of transformation and a pathway between Earth and Heaven, as it is in many cultures around the world.”
Continue reading at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Image via University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
