The last color of the rainbow. What are the colors of the rainbow and how many are there really?

What is a rainbow?

A rainbow is an amazing and incredibly beautiful meteorological and optical natural phenomenon. It can be observed mainly after rain, when the sun comes out. This is the reason that we can see this wonderful phenomenon in the sky, and also distinguish the colors of the rainbow, arranged in order.

A rainbow appears because light emanating from the sun or another source is refracted in droplets of water slowly falling to the ground. With their help, white light “breaks”, forming the colors of the rainbow. They are arranged in order because of different degrees of light deflection (for example, red light is deflected by fewer degrees than violet light). Moreover, a rainbow can also appear thanks to moonlight, but it is very difficult for our eyes to distinguish it in low light. When the circle formed by the “sky bridge” is formed, the center is always on a straight line passing through the Sun or Moon. For those who observe this phenomenon from the ground, this “bridge” appears as an arc. But the higher the vantage point, the more complete the rainbow appears. If you observe it from a mountain or from the air, it can appear before your eyes in the form of a whole circle.

Order of the colors of the rainbow

Many people know a phrase that allows them to remember the order in which the colors of the rainbow are located. For those who don’t know or don’t remember, let’s remember how this line sounds: “Every Hunter Wants to Know Where the Pheasant Sits” (by the way, now there are many analogues of this famous monostich, more modern, and sometimes very funny). The colors of the rainbow are, in order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

These colors do not change their location, imprinting in memory the eternal appearance of such an incredible beautiful phenomenon. The rainbow we often see is primary. During its formation, white light undergoes only one internal reflection. In this case, the red light is outside, as we are used to seeing. However, a secondary rainbow can also form. It's pretty a rare event, in which white light is reflected twice in the droplets. In this case, the colors of the rainbow are already arranged in the opposite direction (from purple to red). At the same time, the part of the sky that is located between these two arcs becomes darker. In places with very clean air, you can even observe a “triple” rainbow.

Unusual Rainbows

In addition to the familiar arc-shaped rainbow, you can also observe its other forms. For example, you can observe lunar rainbows (but they are difficult for the human eye to catch; for this, the glow from the moon must be very bright), foggy, ring-shaped (these phenomena have already been mentioned above) and even inverted. In addition, rainbows can be seen in winter. At this time of year it sometimes occurs due to severe frosts. But some of these phenomena have nothing to do with “sky bridges”. Very often, halo phenomena (this is the name of a luminous ring that forms around a certain object) are mistaken for a rainbow.

We never thought that we would ever return to this topic, namely, how many colors does the rainbow have?

It all started with the most famous memorization about the fact that “Every hunter wants to know where the pheasant sits.”

We then collected a whole collection different options This memory book is about a hunter, and for programmers, and Belarusian, and Ukrainian, and many others. There were so many of them that we even opened them in our “Encyclopedia”

And then it turned out that not all nations have 7 colors in their rainbow. Some have six, particularly in America, and there are those who have only 4. In general, the question is not at all simple, as it might seem at first glance

And as often happens on the vast expanses of the Internet, an article was found on this topic. It was written so interestingly that we could not resist and decided to re-publish it so that our readers could also familiarize themselves with it.

How many colors does a rainbow drink?

…when you see a rainbow, don’t separate yourself from it

when you see beautiful sunset, become him

it's the mind that divides

in fact, the stars dot the sky

are inside us, and we are in them

there is no separation

there is no border...

The phrase “every hunter wants to know where the pheasant sits” has been known to everyone since childhood. This mnemonic device, the so-called acrophonic method of memorization, is designed to remember the sequence of colors of the rainbow. Here, each word of the phrase begins with the same letter as the name of the color: each = red, hunter = orange, etc. In the same way, those who were initially confused about the color sequence Russian flag, realized that the abbreviation KGB (from bottom to top) was suitable to describe it and were no longer confused.

Such mnemonics are acquired by the brain at the level of so-called “conditioning” rather than just learning. Considering that people, like all other animals, are terrible conservatives, then any information that has been drilled into the head since childhood for many is very difficult to change or is even simply blocked from a critical approach. For example, Russian children know from school that there are seven colors in the rainbow. This is rote, familiar, and many are sincerely perplexed as to how it is that in some countries the number of colors of the rainbow can be completely different. But the seemingly undoubted statements “there are seven colors in the rainbow”, as well as “there are 24 hours in a day”, are only products of human imagination and have nothing to do with nature. One of those cases when an arbitrary fiction becomes “reality” for many.

Rainbows have always been seen differently in different periods history and in different peoples. It distinguished three primary colors, and four, and five, and as many as you like. Aristotle identified only three colors: red, green, violet. The Rainbow Serpent of the Australian Aborigines was six-colored. In the Congo, the rainbow is represented by six snakes - according to the number of colors. Some African tribes They see only two colors in the rainbow - dark and light.

So where did the notorious seven colors in the rainbow come from? This is exactly the rare case when the source is known to us. Although the phenomenon of the rainbow was explained by the refraction of sun rays in raindrops back in 1267, Roger Bacon, but only Newton thought of analyzing light and, refracting a ray of light through a prism, first counted five colors: red, yellow, green, blue, violet (he called it purple ). Then the scientist took a closer look and saw six colors. But the number six did not appeal to the believer Newton. Nothing other than a demonic obsession. And the scientist “spotted” another color. The number seven suited him: an ancient and mystical number - there are seven days of the week, and seven deadly sins. Newton thought of indigo as the seventh color. Thus Newton became the father of the seven-color rainbow. True, his very idea of ​​the white spectrum, as a collection of people of color, was not liked by everyone at that time. Even the eminent German poet Goethe was indignant, calling Newton's statement a “monstrous assumption.” After all, it cannot be that the most transparent, purest white color turned out to be a mixture of “dirty” colored rays! But nevertheless, over time, I had to admit that the scientist was right.

The division of the spectrum into seven colors took root, and in English language the next memory appeared - Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain (In - for blue indigo). And over time, they forgot about indigo and there were six colors. Thus, in the words of J. Baudrillard (albeit said on a completely different occasion), “the model became the primary reality, hyperreality, turning the whole world into Disneyland.”

Now our " magical Disneyland"Very diverse. Russians will argue until they are hoarse about the seven-color rainbow. American children are taught the six primary colors of the rainbow. English (German, French, Japanese) too. But it's even more complicated. In addition to the difference in the number of colors, there is another problem - the colors are not the same. The Japanese, like the British, believe that there are six colors in the rainbow. And they will be happy to name them for you: red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo and violet. Where did the green go? Nowhere, it's in Japanese simply no. Japanese people rewriting Chinese characters, the green hieroglyph has been lost (it exists in Chinese). Now in Japan there is no green color, which leads to funny incidents. A Russian specialist working in Japan complained about how he once had to look for a long time for a blue (aoi) folder on his desk. Only the green one lay in plain sight. Which the Japanese see as blue. And not because they are color blind, but because in their language there is no such color as green. That is, it seems to be there, but it’s a shade of blue, like our scarlet – a shade of red. Now, under external influence, there is, of course, the color green (midori) - but from their point of view, this is a shade of blue (aoi). That is, not the main color. So they get blue cucumbers, blue folders and blue traffic lights.

The British will agree with the Japanese on the number of colors, but not on the composition. The English (and other Romance languages) do not have blue color. And if there is no word, then there is no color. They, of course, are also not colorblind, and they distinguish cyan from dark blue, but for them it is just “light blue” - that is, not the main one. So the Englishman would have been looking for the mentioned folder even longer.

Thus, the perception of colors depends only on a specific culture. And thinking in a particular culture depends heavily on language. The question of “colors of the rainbow” is not a matter of physics and biology. It should be dealt with by linguistics and, even more broadly, by philology, since the colors of the rainbow depend only on the language of communication, there is nothing a priori physical behind them. The spectrum of light is continuous, and its arbitrarily selected areas (“colors”) can be called whatever you like - with the words that exist in the language. In the rainbow Slavic peoples seven colors only because there is a separate name for blue (cf. the British) and green (cf. the Japanese).

But the problems of flowers don’t end there; life is even more confusing. IN Kazakh language, for example, the rainbow has seven colors, but the colors themselves do not match the Russian ones. The color that is translated into Russian as blue is in the Kazakh perception a mixture of blue and green, yellow is a mixture of yellow and green. That is, what is considered a mixture of colors among Russians is considered an independent color among Kazakhs. American orange is by no means our orange, but often rather red (in our understanding). By the way, in the case of hair color, on the contrary, red is red. It’s the same with old languages ​​- L. Gumilyov wrote about the difficulties of identifying colors in Turkic texts with Russian ones, for example “sary” - it can be the color of gold, or the color of leaves, because occupies part of the “Russian yellow” range and part of the “Russian green”.

Colors also change over time. In the Kiev collection of 1073 it is written: “In the rainbow, the properties are red, and blue, and green, and crimson.” Then, as we see, in Rus' four colors were distinguished in the rainbow. But what are these colors? Now we would understand them as red, blue, green and red. But it was not always so. For example, what we call white wine was called green wine in ancient times. Crimson could mean any dark color, and even black. And the word red was not a color at all, but originally meant beauty, and in this sense it was preserved in the combination “red maiden”.

How many colors are there really in a rainbow? This question makes virtually no sense. The wavelengths of visible light (in the range of 400-700 nm) can be called whatever colors are convenient - they, the waves, are neither warm nor cold. In a real rainbow, of course, there is an infinite number of “colors” - a full spectrum, and you can select as many “colors” from this spectrum as you like (conventional colors, linguistic ones, those for which we can come up with words).

An even more correct answer would be: not at all, colors do not exist in nature at all - only our imagination creates the illusion of color. R.A. Wilson liked to quote an old Zen koan on this subject: “Who is the Master who makes the grass green?” Buddhists have always understood this. The colors of the rainbow are created by the same Master. And he can create them in completely different ways. As someone noted: “steelworkers distinguish a lot of shades in the transition from yellow to red...”

The same Wilson also noted the following point: “Did you know that an orange is ‘really’ blue? It absorbs blue light that passes through its skin. But we see an orange as “orange” because there is no orange light in it. The orange light reflects off its skin and hits the retina of our eyes. The “essence” of the orange is blue, but we don’t see it; in our brains orange is orange, and we see it. Who is the Master who makes an orange orange?

Osho wrote about the same thing: “Each ray of light consists of seven colors of the rainbow. Your clothes are red for one strange reason. They are not red. Your clothes absorb six colors from the beam of light - all except red. Red is reflected back. The remaining six are absorbed. Because red is reflected, it gets into other people's eyes, so they see your clothes as red. It is a very contradictory situation: your clothes are not red, that is why they appear red.” Let us note that for Osho the rainbow is seven-colored, even though he already lived in “six-colored” America.

From point of view modern biology In a rainbow, a person sees three colors, because a person perceives shades by three types of cells. Physiologically modern ideas healthy people must distinguish three colors: red, green, blue (Red, Green, Blue - RGB). In addition to cells that respond only to brightness, some cones in the human eye respond selectively to wavelength. Biologists have identified three types of color-sensitive cells (cones) - that is, RGB. Three colors are enough for us enough to create any shade. The rest of the infinite number of different intermediate shades is completed by the brain, based on the ratios of irritability of these three types of cells. Is this the final answer? Not really, this is also just a convenient model (In “reality”, the eye’s sensitivity to blue is significantly lower than to green and red).

Thais, like us, are taught in school that there are seven colors in the rainbow. The veneration of the number seven arose in ancient times due to humanity’s knowledge of the then seven celestial bodies known to it (the moon, the sun and the five planets). This is where the seven-day week appeared in Babylon. Each day corresponded to its planet. This system was adopted by the Chinese and spread further. Over time, the number seven became almost sacred; each day of the week had its own god. The Christian “six-day” with an additional day off on Sunday (in Russian, originally called “week” - from “not to do”) spread throughout the world. So it is unlikely that Newton could have “discovered” another number of colors in the rainbow.

But in Everyday life The number of perceived colors among Thais depends on where they live. The city will soon have an official number of seven. But in the provinces it’s different. Moreover, the colors of the rainbow can vary even in neighboring villages. For example, in some settlements in the northeast there are two orange colors, “som” and “sed.” The second word means something like “more orange.” As is the case, say, with the Chukchi, who have more in their language different names For white, since they have long distinguished shades white snow, the Thais’ selection of a separate color is not accidental. In those places it grows on trees beautiful flower“dokjang”, the color of which is different from the usual color of orange “som”. You most likely will not find this word in the dictionary. But you can hear about this flower in Thai songs in the Isan dialect:

“I really miss Isan, I miss the flowers of the dojang Tung Luilai.”

“Forest Flame”, “Forest Fire” - this is the name that the gray-colored dokjang flower is usually known by. What color would we use in Russian when describing this flower?

After the rain, both adults and children peer into the sky: what if a rainbow appears? People of all ages admire this with trepidation and joy. unusual phenomenon- bright stripes of 7 colors stretching across the entire sky along the entire horizon. In ancient times, people believed that rainbows appeared by God's will, as proof of his existence. Children think that stripes in the sky appear out of nowhere, as if in a fairy tale. But adult readers of the portal know for sure that the appearance of a rainbow is explained by the physical laws of nature and it is just an optical illusion.

How does a rainbow appear?

Physicists, observing the refraction of light in drops of water, with mathematical precision derived equations that reveal the mechanism of formation of this natural phenomenon. Knowledge of optical laws made it possible to prove that for the appearance of a rainbow, it is important not only the presence of drops of rainwater and then the appearance of the sun standing low above the horizon, but also the location of the observer with his back to the luminary.

Rainbow colors in in the right order. Drawing by Vasilisa Batmanova, 8 years old, especially for

The stream of sunlight, reaching the surface of the water, is refracted and splits the white rays of the sun into color spectrum, and it consists of 7 main colors. Red, orange, yellow make up warm shades, green is borderline, and blue, indigo, violet are cold. This is the order in which the rainbow colors are arranged.

Red is the outer color, and purple is the inner color. Rainbows are often depicted in reverse order, but this is incorrect. Although, the reverse order of colors is also possible - in a duplicate rainbow, which is discussed below.

When it rains, a ray of sun illuminates a raindrop and penetrates it, refracting into the colors of the spectrum. The wall of a water drop has a dense structure, upon reaching which the flow of light is reflected in the opposite direction. This causes even greater refraction. From the point of entry sunbeam a stream of rainbow spectrum bursts out. Since the observer stands with his back to the shining Sun and his face to the rain, he sees refracted sunlight reflected by billions of drops of rainwater.

The colors of the rainbow in reverse order, characteristic of the “second” rainbow. Drawing by Margosha Batmanova, 6 years old, specially for

Sometimes you can see not one, but two rainbows in the sky at the same time. Moreover, the second one is not so bright or is barely visible in the sky. Its colors also consist of 7 shades, but are arranged in an inverted state: from purple to red. The appearance of a “double” is easily explained from the point of view of optics: light rays are reflected again in a drop of water - and this is where a rainbow-double appears.

A person is always interested natural phenomena, which are visible, but cannot be touched: fog, evaporation of moisture, rainbow. They seem to be a manifestation of a miracle, something unusual, of divine origin, but in fact their occurrence is proven by science.

Every person has their own favorite time of the year. Some people love spring, while others prefer autumn. But everyone, without exception, is looking forward to summer. Vivid emotions, bright colors, and vivid impressions. And I really want to preserve them and extend them. I suggest using a proven method. Let's maintain our mood in the interior with the help of color. To do this, the summer rainbow will help us. How? It's easy, we'll just transfer the colors to our walls. The number seven is a symbol of beauty. Seven notes, seven colors. And if you combine them, we get an endless source of creativity and inspiration.

But today I would like to focus on the main “rainbow” colors. Yes, there are only seven of them. Do you remember them? And their sequence? Let’s remember together the mnemonic phrase: “Every Hunter Wants to Know Where the Pheasant Sits,” where the first letter of each word is a kind of code for the color. Having guessed the password, we get a sequence of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. A smooth transition from one color to another creates many intermediate shades. Together, allowing us to create interesting color combinations and use this when combining colors and shades in the interior.

With the right combination of color palette, you can achieve a colossal effect. And this applies not only to the combination of bright, dark, but also light and pastel colors. They can be combined with each other, playing with shades of the rainbow, or you can create a monochrome interior, emphasizing your liking for a certain color, creating some kind of severity or mystery. But don’t think that a monochrome interior is boring and ordinary. On the contrary, monochrome allows a person to open up, and the character of its owner can be determined by the color that predominates in the house.

Let's try to walk along the rainbow and look... at us from the outside.

Red color in the interior will help create an explosive atmosphere in the room. It is suitable for self-confident people who go through life with their heads held high and are not afraid of outside looks. But keep in mind one factor: if you are easily susceptible to criticism and the opinions of others, then most likely the color red in the interior is not your option. In addition, when perceiving the color red, a person expends a significant amount of his energy, and therefore one should not expect a charge from it. A self-sufficient color that keenly and zealously endures the environment of competitors. When using red color in the interior, you should be careful; even the smallest detail can ruin the overall impression. Red color is truly insidious. And the huge number of shades and tones of red can “drive anyone crazy”...

The orange color was created by mixing rainbow red and yellow. Is it an independent color... or is it a bright shade of yellow and red? We can safely say one thing, he took all the best from these flowers. Orange is a cheerful shade that fills you with energy and “vitamin C”, better juicy orange! Orange color in the interior should be used in doses, following the rules of “reception”, and then you will not be afraid of any depression and Bad mood. A natural antidepressant that helps unleash inner talents and creativity. By using orange color in the interior, you can naturally and easily raise your self-esteem without visiting expensive psychologists, and get a charge of “explosive” energy. But we should not forget that Orange color very spoiled and requires an appropriate environment. But with regular “use” you will not be in danger of either a bad mood or low self-esteem. Remember that orange is a synonym for continuous movement and optimism!

Yellow color is a symbol of warmth, joy and optimism. When using yellow color in the interior, do not forget how positive traits this color, and about negative ones. Let's start with the good. Yellow in the interior promotes quick perception of information, concentration and sometimes acceptance difficult decisions V short time. That's why yellow Most often present in children's rooms and offices. But there is also downsides yellow. Strong and purposeful individuals who prefer yellow not only in the interior, but also in clothing, are often so carried away by their thoughts and ideas that they do not notice anyone around them. Whether it's good or bad, it's up to you to decide....

Green color appeared from the fusion of yellow and blue colors. Depending on which color predominates, the overall impression of the room is created. If the green color has a predominance of blue, then the atmosphere in the room will be “cool” and restrained. Add more yellow to green, and you will immediately feel harmony and lightness. Green color is a symbol of safety and forward movement. A clear example The traffic light is green. As for the use of green color in the interior, it has beneficial influence on the psyche and promotes growth, development and harmonious perception of reality. Green color can be “prescribed” for people suffering from claustrophobia, because the predominance of green in the interior promotes proper relaxation and calm. This is especially true for a monochrome interior. Green is a symbol of nature, peace and growth, both career and personal.

Blue color is a symbol of peace, tranquility and harmony. In the interior, blue color will help you concentrate when making decisions or find harmony with yourself and the world around you. Also, the blue color is a symbol of aristocracy, it’s not for nothing that the expression “ blue blood"People who surround themselves with the color blue are honest, decent and responsible, capable of reasoning and accepting right decisions, despite emotional condition. The blue color takes on the calmness of blue and the purity of white, filling your life with optimism and setting you up to boldly move forward without looking back at your past. In addition, the blue color in the interior promotes complete relaxation after working day and despite everything fashion trends always looks relevant and fresh!

Blue color- a symbol of heaven, eternity and kindness. A blue interior helps stabilize the energy background in the house, and perfectly replenishes expended energy after a hard day. Depending on the depth of color, it can have different effects on the environment and others. If we talk about the classic blue color, then most often it is associated with such character qualities as loyalty and constancy. The blue color in the interior will be an excellent backdrop for creative people and people who engage in mental activity. The blue color creates a special energy and atmosphere, but do not forget that you should not overload the interior with blue. He supports well strong personalities, but can suppress weaker ones.

To avoid the blues and spleen, dilute this color with other shades, or use blue as a contrasting element in the decor.

And the last color in our rainbow is purple. The so-called "pheasant", the final color in the spectral rainbow. Purple is the most difficult color. All shades from the lightest to the deepest and darkest combine elegance and charm, but at the same time are shrouded in mysticism and mystery. Purple color comes from the fusion of "explosive" red and "cold" blue. Depending on the concentration of blue or red colors, the warmth level of violet color reaches. If red color levels out over blue, then purple color in the interior will give a warm and cozy atmosphere filled with nobility and luxury. If blue is dominant, it will "extinguish" all the warmth of red and you will get a cooler and more reserved purple. Cold purple colors in the interior are a symbol of authority, but nobility at the same time. And in addition to everything, I would like to say that there are no people indifferent to the color purple. Either they love him or they don't. The color violet in the interior, regardless of the shades and its quantity, promotes creative thinking, calmness, helping to concentrate and avoid rash actions. True purple color is self-sufficient and treats its surroundings with “contempt”, therefore, when used purple In the interior, you should carefully select a companion for it.

When creating your interior, you should listen to your inner feelings, because at one time or another in a person’s life, a person may stop liking his “favorite” color, and he radically changes not only his entire wardrobe, but also the interior. Why? It’s just that sometimes we need nourishment from other colors, and when we fill our “inner self,” we can calm down. So combine different colors in your interior so that the energy balance is always normal.

Or be bolder and change the color of your “surroundings” according to your inner needs. Plain or combined, bright or neutral, the main thing is that you feel comfortable living in this interior. And finally I would like to add. If previously a bright interior was a sign of “bad taste” and bad taste, today everything is completely the opposite. Bright colors in the interior now - this more sign an extraordinary personality, and a person who is not afraid to show his “inner self” to those around him. Besides modern elements decor allows you to realize perhaps even the most fantastic ideas.

Go ahead and let the magic of color and rainbow never leave your home!