Arches Sun Circle

Very creative image. Good job!

Wow!

very original, Craig. The picture radiates 'heat', as if you desperately are trying to look for shelter in the shadow of the arch...

Actually, what you've photographed is not a rainbow, but a particularly intense 22 degree solar halo. If you get a big enough concentration of the right types of ice crystals, you get this halo in the multi-colored variety.

 

Rainbows are two-surface reflections from water droplets, that's why they're seen opposite the sun. The halo is a single reflection through floating ice crystals. There's also a 46 degree halo that's sometimes seen outside the primary. This doesn't count the 10-15 other types of halos and artifacts that can occur.

 

It's very nice, in any case.

I finally got some information about what this is.

Really unusual perspective with the sun's halo above the arch. This is my favorite from the Utah series. Although you really have several that are equally as good. I chose this for its' distinctive approach and perspective.