Moonbows – pale white rainbows that appear on bright moonlight nights – may sound like science fiction, but they’re real. 
 
 They’re also rare. 
 
 They've shown up sporadically over active lava flows in Hawaii, at the base of Yosemite Falls in California during the spring snow melt, and in the cloud forests of Costa Rica when the Christmas winds blow in clouds of mist from late December through early February. They've also occasionally been seen in various places around the globe in the night sky during a rain shower around the time of the full moon. 
 
 Seeing them on a regular basis, however, requires visiting one of only two places on the planet: Victoria Falls on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border and Cumberland Falls near Corbin, Kentucky, in the US. 
 
 At 38m wide and 18m high, Cumberland Falls is known as the Niagara of the South, crashing into a boulder-strewn gorge and kicking up enough mist to create colourful rainbows during the day and milky moonbows on clear nights over the full moon period. The magic happens when the moonlight is refracted in mist, which isn't dissipated by the wind because of the steep gorge walls. 
 
 “Bright moonlit nights with clear skies are what you need to see the moonbow,” explained Bret Smitley, who has been a naturalist with Cumberland Falls State Park Resort for 23 years. “The right amount of mist is key. You want a good splash. One of the reasons why we’re special is that while most waterfalls are in deep ravines and gorges, we have a wide gorge so the moon can shine down in it and really reach the mist. And we have a big falls – one of the largest in regards to water volume in the southeast [US].” 
 
 Apart from Cumberland Falls and Victoria Falls, no other places in the world have all those factors coming together on a monthly basis, which is what makes viewing the moonbow so incredibly special. Niagara Falls once had a regular moonbow, but as the area developed, the light pollution meant it can no longer be seen at all. 
 
 Moonbows are created the same way rainbows are, since moonlight is really sunlight that’s reflected off the moon. The difference is that our eyes aren’t designed to see colours in the dark, so a moonbow will look like a faint, white arch to us. But photographers who shoot with long exposures end up with an image showing the same colours we normally see in rainbows. 
 
 “Sometimes I see a blue-green hue to it,” Smitley said, “and sometimes there’s a reddish hue, but it won’t look like a regular rainbow to the naked eye.” He’s seen double moonbows a few times, as well. 
 
 The moonbow typically appears for about five nights each month, starting from two to three nights before the full moon through two or three nights afterward – but only when the weather is clear. If it’s cloudy, there won’t be enough light. Smitley says he’s seen it as early as five nights before the full moon, although that’s unusual. 
 
 At Cumberland Falls, the moon needs to be at 45 degrees in the sky to clear the ridgetop, Smitley explained, which happens about two hours after moonrise. The exact time changes from night to night because the moon can rise up to an hour later each night. The earliest the moonbow makes its appearance is about 6:30 pm at the beginning of its cycle in November and December, while in summer it can show up for the first time each evening as late as 9:30 pm. (Moonbow dates and times are available online.) 
 
 The viewing platform at Cumberland Falls is situated just right for seeing rainbows during the day (typically showing up between 9 or 10 am and 1 pm) and moonbows several nights each month. 
 
 Onlookers can range from a handful of people on a late autumn evening to 1,000 people on a summer weekend. Local teens, families, photographers, the occasional spiritual seeker and tourists alike mingle as they wait for the show, an air of excited anticipation mixing with the spray from the falls. 
 
 “You can get thrown by it,” Smitley said. “That’s the mystery of it. You don’t know what to expect until you go out there. It could be cloudy for hours, and then suddenly the clouds part and it appears. It’s magical.” 
 
 But if you happen to visit on a night when the moonbow is too shy to show, “the falls themselves can be beautiful in the moonlight,” Smitley insisted. “Sometimes that’s as spectacular as the moonbow.” 
 
 If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called “If You Only Read 6 Things This Week”. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital, Travel and Autos, delivered to your inbox every Friday. ||||| Story highlights Moonbow is the same thing as a rainbow but occurs at night 
 
 They can be tough to see since moonlight is much weaker than sunlight 
 
 (CNN) Patting yourself on the back for getting a killer photo of the supermoon? Well, Ben Gwynne can top that. 
 
 Like many of us, Gwynne was out last weekend to capture the moon in all its glory when he happened upon this amazing visual. 
 
 It's called a moonbow. 
 
 As the name suggests, a moonbow is the same thing as a rainbow. Like a rainbow, it's formed when light is refracted from water droplets suspended in the atmosphere. 
 
 The difference, of course, is that the moon doesn't produce its own light. So it's light from the sun reflecting off the moon's surface, and refracting off water droplets in the air. 
 
 Read More ||||| Lodging & Camping 
 
 Meetings 
 
 Dining 
 
 Moonbow 
 
 Facebook DuPont Lodge 
 
 The solid hemlock beams and knotty pine paneling complement the massive stone fireplaces in historic DuPont Lodge, one of the most beautiful state park lodges. Fifty-one rooms offer beautiful views and full amenities including interior corridors. All rooms totally renovated in 2006. Interested in cabins? Don’t forget about the park’s other accommodations, including Cumberland Falls cabin rentals, cottages and campsites. Relax on the beautiful, large observation deck overlooking the Cumberland River winding through the hillside. DuPont Lodge provides a spectacular spot for a wedding. 
 
 Click here to Reserve A Lodge Room/Cabin 
 
 Click here for Camping Reservations 
 
 
 
 Cumberland Falls State Resort Park has been recognized in Kentucky Living magazine’s 2016 Reader’s Choice Awards! Selfie Location: 1st Place; Horseback Riding Trail: 2nd Place; Vacation Getaway: 2nd Place 
 
 
 
 Local Area Attractions: Sheltowee Trace Outfitters and Big South Fork Scenic Railway 
 
 Meetings 
 
 Imagine your event near a wall of water falling 60 feet into a boulder-strewn gorge, a whispering mist that kisses the face and a magical moonbow visible on a clear night under a full moon – a cool attraction you’ll never forget! Click here to visit Cumberland Falls' Meetings site. 
 
 Riverview Restaurant 
 
 Enjoy the breathtaking view overlooking the Cumberland River as it winds through the hillside while dining. The food is as outstanding as the view. Specialties include our famous catfish and hushpuppies as well as healthy wraps and salads. Homemade desserts top it off. As a supporter of Kentucky Proud program, Kentucky state park resort restaurants utilize locally grown meats and produce when available. Restaurant Menus Breakfast Menu 
 
 Lunch and Dinner Menu 
 
 Kid's Menu 
 
 
 
 
 
 Restaurant Hours 
 
 
 
 Lunch 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. 
 
 Dinner 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. 
 
 
 
 Cumberland Falls & the Moonbow Breakfast 7 a.m. - 10 a.m.Lunch 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.Dinner 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Known as the "Niagara of the South," the 125-foot wide curtain of water is dramatic day or night. But it's only at night during a full moon that you can see the moonbow, a phenomenon not found anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere. Sheltowee Trace Outfitters offers a 'Rainbow Mist Ride' to Cumberland Falls, water and weather permitting. Click here to visit their website. If you're interested in photographing the moonbow at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, read tips on camera settings and more here. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2018 Moonbow Dates Winter Spring Summer Fall December 
 
 19 6:00-8:00 
 
 20 6:00-8:00 
 
 21 7:00-9:00 
 
 22 8:00-10:00 
 
 23 9:00-11:00 
 
 24 10:00-12:00 
 
 25 11:00-1:00 March 
 
 1 8:30-10:30 
 
 2 9:30-11:30 
 
 3 10:30-12:30 
 
 4 11:30-1:30 
 
 28 8:30 -10:30 
 
 29 8:30-10:30 
 
 30 9:00-11:00 
 
 31 10:00-12:00 June 
 
 1 1:30-3:30 
 
 25 9:00-11:00 
 
 26 10:00-12:00 
 
 27 10:30-12:30 
 
 28 11:30-1:30 
 
 29 12:00-2:00 
 
 30 1:00-3:00 September 
 
 21 8:00-10:00 
 
 22 8:30-10:30 
 
 23 9:00-11:00 
 
 24 9:30-11:30 
 
 25 10:00-12:00 
 
 26 10:00-12:00 
 
 27 11:00-1:00 January 
 
 1 7:30-9:30 
 
 2 8:30-10:30 
 
 3 9:30-11:30 
 
 4 10:30-12:30 
 
 28 6:30-8:30 
 
 29 6:30-8:30 
 
 30 7:30-9:30 
 
 31 8:30-10:30 April 
 
 1 11:30-1:30 
 
 2 12:30-2:30 
 
 3 1:30-3:30 
 
 26 9:00-11:00 
 
 27 9:00-11:00 
 
 28 9:00-11:00 
 
 29 10:00 -12:00 
 
 30 11:00-1:00 July 
 
 1 1:30-3:30 
 
 24 8:30-10:30 
 
 25 9:30-11:30 
 
 26 10:00-12:00 
 
 27 11:00-1:00 
 
 28 11:30-1:30 
 
 29 12:00-2:00 
 
 30 12:30-2:30 October 
 
 21 8:00-10:00 
 
 22 8:00-10:00 
 
 23 9:00-11:00 
 
 24 9:30-11:30 
 
 25 10:00-12:00 
 
 26 10:30-12:30 
 
 27 11:00-1:00 February 
 
 1 9:30-11:30 
 
 2 11:00-1:00 
 
 3 12:00-2:00 
 
 26 7:00 -9:00 
 
 27 7:00 –9:00 
 
 28 7:30-9:30 May 
 
 1 12:00-2:00 
 
 2 1:00-3:00 
 
 26 9:30-11:30 
 
 27 9:30-11:30 
 
 28 10:00-12:00 
 
 29 11:00-1:00 
 
 30 12:00-2:00 
 
 31 1:00-3:00 August 
 
 23 9:00-11:00 
 
 24 9:30-11:30 
 
 25 10:00-12:00 
 
 26 10:30-12:30 
 
 27 11:00-1:00 
 
 28 11:30-1:30 
 
 29 12:00-2:00 November 
 
 20 6:00-8:00 
 
 21 6:00-8:00 
 
 22 7:30-9:30 
 
 23 8:00-10:00 
 
 24 9:00-11:00 
 
 25 10:00-12:00 
 
 26 11:00-1:00 ||||| Unbelievable white rainbow (otherwise known as a Fog Bow) down on Rannoch Moor near Glencoe in Scotland on Sunday.I was so lucky to be shooting this wonderful isolated tree at the time as the Fog Bow framed it beautifully. .Four Day Glencoe Photo Workshop 23rd-26th Feb 2017 www.melvinnicholson.co.uk
– Waterfalls are among the most reliable places to catch a rainbow, but only two on the planet offer up a regular display of its close cousin, the moonbow: Cumberland Falls in Kentucky and Victoria Falls on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border. Also called a white rainbow, a moonbow appears when moonlight (which is sunlight reflected off the moon) in the days just before, during, and after a full moon hits the mist generated by the falls. Because we can't see colors well in low light, a moonbow appears white, reports BBC Travel, though photographers can use long exposures to capture its actual colors. Moonbows are occasionally—but not regularly—seen elsewhere in the world, including at Yosemite Falls in California. What makes Cumblerland Falls and Victoria Falls so unique is that they boast just the right amount of splash along a wide enough (rather than deep and narrow) gorge so that moonlight can reach down and across the mist. CNN notes that because sunlight is much stronger than moonlight, moonbows are rainbow's fainter cousin. They're temperamental in other ways: Cloudy nights can prevent the bow from forming, and Niagara Falls on the US-Canada border has lost its moonbow thanks to light pollution. Bustle reports on one photographer who in November caught a similar fogbow, which forms in the fog, arching over a solitary tree in Scotland; it went viral on Instagram and Twitter. (Turns out rainbows are more complicated than we thought.)