It starts with one arc

 It starts with one arc… then another rises beside it… and suddenly the horizon looks like it’s wearing layers of color.

This happens when sunlight hits rain at slightly different angles and droplet sizes. Each band forms from light bending, reflecting inside the drops, and separating into colors. When conditions are just right, multiple bows appear at once — brighter inside, softer and reversed outside — turning an ordinary storm into a full-sky light show.

Moments like this are most often seen along open coastlines after passing showers, especially in places like Outer Banks, Great Ocean Road, and Reykjavík where wide horizons and sea spray help the colors pop.