Police helicopter takes a stunning photo of a rare FULL CIRCLE rainbow over the Vale of Glamorgan

They are often considered good luck charms, but if you try to find the end of the rainbow in this incredible image, you may run into trouble.

A police helicopter captured a stunning photo of a rare circular rainbow over the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales.

The St Athan-based South West and Wales Regional National Police Aviation (NPAS) unit took the photo after assisting South Wales Police.

“Good day everyone. “Beautiful photo ^DJ took today after supporting @swpolice,” he tweeted.

Here is what a full circle rainbow is and how it is created.

A police helicopter captured a stunning photo of a rare circular rainbow over the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales

The most important factor that determines how much of a rainbow you see is your visual reference point, according to the Met Office.

“In most cases, we only see less than half a circle – the characteristic rainbow arc we all know,” it explains.

“However, if you are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, you can see a complete rainbow in all its glory.”

The center of a rainbow is directly opposite where the sun is in the sky, meaning more rainbows can be seen as the sun approaches the horizon.

For this reason, the largest rainbows are usually seen at sunrise or sunset.

However, to see a complete circular arc, you must be able to see drops of water below your observable horizon.

“If you are on the ground, it is very unlikely that you will be in the optimal position to see the rest of the rainbow – with the exception of the full circle rainbows that appear in the mist from a garden hose or sprinkler, because for example, ” says the spokesperson. according to the Met Office.

“However, if you are standing on a tall building or looking out of an airplane, you may encounter water droplets and sunlight below your observation point.”

To see a full circle arc, you need to be able to see water droplets below your observable horizon

READ MORE: NASA takes photo of inverted rainbow over Sicily

“If the conditions are right, you have the chance to see the rainbow in its entirety.”

This is not the only unusual rainbow that has been spotted recently.

Last year, NASA released a stunning photo of an inverted rainbow, or “circumzenital arc,” that appeared over a palm tree in Ragusa, Sicily, last month.

The rainbow was spotted by Italian astrophotographer and primary school teacher Marcella Giulia Pace (47) while the sun was low in the sky.

She captioned her photo: “Countless times it has loomed over our heads and been ignored because everything we need is often in front of us or, upside down, on our mobile devices.”

“Many define the circumzenital arc as ‘the laughing rainbow’ because the colors are reversed compared to the more common rainbow we observe.”

“Of all the halo phenomena, this is the one with the most vivid and bright colors, as can be seen in the photo, even more vivid than that of the rainbow.”