Memory of a Moonbow
The one and only time I've seen a moonbow was driving at dusk in the Far North on a drizzly night. Under the light of a rising full moon, I noticed the arc of a rainbow in the sky, glowing in various shades of grey.. I’ve been quietly obsessed since.
Not simply by the experience of it, but also the concept- that a rainbow, which we know exclusively as colourful (that’s its whole identity) could in fact exist without colour.
A rainbow is conditional on light and moisture and we are familiar with experiencing it in daylight. But, in a darkening evening sky with a rising full moon and enough moisture in the air, moonlight can also create an arc of light- a moonbow.
I like confusing people with the use of the word "moonbow". It takes a minute to dissect the word, put it back together and make sense- even then, it's hard to make sense of. A rainbow but with the moon? That can only be at night, but how?
A moonbow, or lunar rainbow, is a rainbow cast by the moon rather than the sun. It needs specific conditions, such as a certain humidity in the air for the light to reflect off the water particles to create the bow. The moon also needs to be low enough in the sky. With those conditions satisfied, a moonbow can occur.
The one and only time I've seen a moonbow was driving at dusk in the Far North on a drizzly night. Under the light of a rising full moon, I noticed the form and curve of a rainbow in the sky, its tonal nuances present, but devoid of colour. We stopped to appreciate this peculiar occurrence, a rainbow created entirely by moonlight. Whilst to my memory it was present in the sky as shades of grey, images tell a different story. With night mode on the iPhone and the camera using long exposure, the images of that moonbow show colour, not just a grey gradient.
Colours need light to be visible. In darkness, there is no light therefore there is no colour. White light is absorbed and reflected off surfaces. The reflected waves of colour are what we see.
In the case of the moonbow through imagery, I can only conclude that with the longer exposure came more light, and with more light came move colour. So, while images are ones of colour in a darkening sky- my memory of the moonbow is one of a subtle arc glowing in a dimming sky in various shades of grey.
The rings nod to the curve of a rainbow, each piece in solid sterling silver in a range of finishes. From polished to brushed, the silver colour takes on different tones, together creating a series of various shades of grey.
There is one set, which is a trio of rings. These are smaller versions across three different grey materials: Platinum, 9ct white gold and silver.
