Moonbows and Lightning

The last few days have provided opportunities for photographing lightning and moonbows. A moonbow, of course, is nothing more than a rainbow that is lit by the light of the moon rather than the sun. Although not rare, I’ve never had an opportunity to photograph a moonbow before. Even better, it was a double moonbow. And, to make it even better, there was lightning to go along with it.

Moonbow over Sedona, Arizona.
Moonbow over Sedona, Arizona.

A short time-lapse video is available. The video covers a period of 24 minutes compressed into 8 seconds.

The previous evening I was also shooting lightning in Sedona and was able to capture this beautiful cloud-to-ground lightning bolt adjacent to Cathedral Rock. (Minor problem: it wasn’t in sharp focus. Oh, well.)

Lightning near Cathedral Rock, Sedona, Arizona.
Lightning near Cathedral Rock, Sedona, Arizona.