NASA's picture of the day captures rare supernumerary rainbows over New Jersey

NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) feature for October 4, 2026, showcases an image of supernumerary rainbows photographed over New Jersey, drawing attention to a relatively rare atmospheric optical phenomenon.

Supernumerary rainbows appear as extra, fainter bands of colour just inside the arc of a primary rainbow. They are caused by the wave nature of light interfering with itself as it passes through very small, uniformly sized water droplets, producing additional closely spaced arcs beyond the standard red-to-violet rainbow.

About the Astronomy Picture of the Day

APOD is a long-running feature maintained by NASA and partner astronomers, publishing a new image or photograph each day along with a short explanation written by a professional astronomer, covering everything from deep-space phenomena to atmospheric optics here on Earth.

While ordinary rainbows are a familiar sight, supernumerary rainbows require specific atmospheric conditions, including droplets of a narrow and consistent size range, which makes them less commonly observed and photographed than standard rainbows.

The feature is part of NASA's broader effort to share imagery of both astronomical and atmospheric phenomena with the public, pairing visuals with accessible scientific explanations through its daily archive.