To make a vibrant iridescent rainbow, two ingredients are needed: water and light. In Hawaii, those two components are not in short supply. The islands’ abundance of sunlight and water, combined with their geographical location, make rainbows a common occurrence. There are various factors as to why rainbows frequently form over Hawaii and can last for several hours. Hawaii's location in the subtropical Pacific makes it susceptible to northeast trade winds. The winds bring infrequent rain showers with clear skies between the rainfall, which create optimal rainbow watching conditions. Hawaii’s remote location also keeps the islands' crisp, clean air free of pollutants where rainbows can shine in all their vibrancy without any contaminants to dim their glow. It’s not unusual to see a rainbow that lasts for 7 hours. When we view a rainbow on the earth’s surface, we’re only seeing half of it at a time. Rainbows are a common occurrence on earth, but if you want to see moonbows, double rainbows, or a whole 360ยบ rainbow, Hawaii — also known as the Rainbow State — is the best place to look.
