CAPE ZHELANIYA /Novaya Zemlya/, July 10. /TASS/. Participants in the Arctic Floating University expedition onboard the Professor Molchanov scientific/research vessel were able to watch for a few hours a rare meteorology phenomenon - a white rainbow, near Cape Zhelaniya (Novaya Zemlya's north), a TASS correspondent reported from the vessel.
A cloud was staying above the cape, and at the same time the sun was shining. The rainbow's complete line remained seen in the sky for more than three hours. At times, it turned colors and then again became white.
"White rainbows develop when the sun rays fall on microscopic water drops, and as the water drops become bigger the rainbow gains colors," the Saratov State University's head of the meteorology and climate department, Maxim Chervyakov, told TASS. "Why do rainbows normally disappear quickly after rains? Because the drops become too big and fall on the ground. Here, in this case, the situation was different: a cloud above the cape and the sun."
Earlier, in late June, the expedition saw a white rainbow over the White Sea. However, the phenomenon continued there for only several minutes.
The Arctic Floating University is a joint project of the Northern Arctic Federal University (NAFU) and the Northern Branch for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring. The expeditions continue since 2012. The project's partners and sponsors are the Ministry for Development of the Far East and Arctic, VTB, Novatek, Norilsk Nickel, the Arkhangelsk Region's government, and the Russian Geographical Society.