Photo by Steve Businger via University of Hawaiʻi

(BIVN) – Wednesday was National Find a Rainbow Day, and the University of Hawaiʻi shared some video explaining why the optical phenomena is so common in the islands.

A necessary ingredient for rainbows is rain, of which there can be plenty in Hawaiʻi. The University notes that you’ll have a chance to see rainbows when the Sun is lower than 42 degrees above the horizon. 

“Rainbows are such a spectacular phenomenon, and they’re very common in Hawaiʻi,” said UH atmospheric sciences professor Steve Businger. “In fact, compared to other places I have dubbed Hawaiʻi the rainbow capital of the world.”

Photo of Steve Businger from video by the University of Hawaiʻi

“Another aspect of Hawaiʻi’s climate that is conducive for rainbow sightings is the convective nature of our rainfall,” Businger added. “Our clouds tend to be pretty vigorous in their updrafts and they produce rain easily and that allows for more rainbows.”

The University notes that Businger developed a free app for smartphones that can help locate rainbows. The app is called RainbowChase and is available on Android and iPhone.