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Phenomena

Alexander's band

Meteorology

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Alexander's band, also called Alexander's dark band, is an optical phenomenon associated with rainbows that appears as a comparatively dark region of sky between a primary and a secondary rainbow. It occurs because light deviated at the intermediate angles between the two bows cannot reach the observer's eye. The phenomenon is named for Alexander of Aphrodisias, who described it in his ancient commentary on Aristotle's Meteorology.

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