moonbow

English

A moonbow at Victoria Falls, Africa

Etymology

moon +‎ bow, by analogy with rainbow.

Noun

moonbow (plural moonbows)

1. (meteorology) A rainbow formed by moonlight diffracted by water droplets in the air, usually fainter than a daytime rainbow and with fewer distinguishable colours.
   • 1896, James Wells, Travel-pictures from Palestine, page 94,

     Often rainbows by night or moonbows span the lake.

   • 2010, Bernd Brunner, Moon: A Brief History, unnumbered page,

     Among the rarer optical effects associated with the moon are also moonbows or lunar rainbows.

   • 2011, Colleen Ryckert Cook, Kentucky: Past and Present, page 9,

     When the sun shines over Kentucky's Cumberland Falls, the mist creates a rainbow on most days. If the moon shines brightly enough, it can create a moonbow, too!

Synonyms

• (rainbow formed by diffracted moonlight): lunar rainbow, white rainbow

Translations

Meteorological phenomenon

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 月虹 (yuèhóng)

• Esperanto: luna ĉielarko
• Estonian: kuuvikerkaar, kuukaar
• French: arc-en-ciel lunaire m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: Mondregenbogen
• Italian: arcobaleno lunare m
• Japanese: 月虹 (ja) (げっこう, gekkō)
• Swedish: månregnbåge