Can You See A Full Circular Rainbow From A Plane?

Yes, absolutely. An airplane or a high-altitude location (like a mountaintop) is the ideal place to see a full, 360-degree circular rainbow.

As explained earlier, the only reason we see an arc from the ground is that the horizon blocks the bottom half of the rainbow's circle. When you are high in the air, your vantage point changes.

1. From an airplane, you can be above the water droplets (the rain or mist).
2. The antisolar point (the center of the rainbow, opposite the sun) is no longer blocked by the ground. It is a point in the air or on the clouds below you.
3. With no horizon to intercept your view, you are able to see the entire 360-degree circle of light that forms the complete rainbow.
4. Often, you will see the shadow of the airplane itself in the exact center of this circular rainbow. This phenomenon (a rainbow or "glory" around the plane's shadow) is a confirmation that the rainbow is centered on your line of sight.