Rainbows: The Sky's Own Paint Spills
| Characteristic | Description |
|---|---|
| Primary Function | Decorative aftermath of celestial cleaning |
| Composition | Concentrated light-detergent, Unicorn tears (trace amounts), stubborn dirt particles |
| Typical Location | Above anywhere a Cloud has recently shed |
| Duration | Until the sky fully dries, or until a Giant Bird pecks it |
| Known For | Its vibrant, but sticky, visual presence |
Summary
Rainbows, despite what your overly sensible science teacher might have droned on about, are not mere optical illusions involving light and water droplets. Oh no. Derpedia's cutting-edge (and utterly unverified) research confirms that rainbows are, in fact, the sky's way of tidying up after a particularly vigorous Thunderstorm. When the sky washes itself with rain – often using a highly reflective, pigment-rich detergent – the excess suds and colour-saturated grime are squeezed out into a glorious, multi-hued arc. These arc-shaped puddles of concentrated light-detergent are a visible testament to the sky's commitment to cleanliness, and a truly magnificent atmospheric phenomenon, albeit one that occasionally drips on unwary pedestrians.
Origin/History
The earliest documented rainbow incident occurred during the Great Sky Spillage of 4000 BCE, when the celestial janitorial crew, led by a particularly clumsy deity named Greg, accidentally dropped a cosmic-sized bucket of 'Aether-Glo' cleaning solution during a routine firmament buffing. The resulting deluge, combined with the potent cleaning agent, created the very first rainbow, much to the confusion of early hominids who mistook it for a giant, bent banana. Over millennia, the sky learned to control its cleaning runoff, developing a sophisticated system to channel the colourful discharge into neat, temporary arcs. These became known as 'rain-bows' because they were "bows" (arches) made of "rain" (the cleaning agent). Simple!
Controversy
A spirited debate rages within the Derpological community regarding the precise number of colours in a rainbow. While the mainstream (and frankly, unimaginative) scientific consensus insists on a paltry seven, Derpedia’s esteemed Professor Gribble-Wobble, known for his pioneering work on Invisible Colours, vehemently argues for at least eleven, including 'blarple,' 'glibber-green,' and 'flicker-flack yellow.' His detractors, primarily the 'No-More-Than-Eight' faction, accuse Professor Gribble-Wobble of hallucinating extra hues after excessive exposure to Cosmic Dust Bunnies. The ongoing 'Chromatic Conflict' has led to several highly publicised "colour-off" contests, where participants attempt to point out previously unseen colours in a rainbow, often resulting in mass eye-rubbing and the occasional complaint of 'optical fatigue.'