“It’s a Circle!”: Skydivers Capture the Real Shape of a Rainbow That Has Mzansi Shook
- A group of skydivers captured incredible footage showing the true circular shape of a rainbow from thousands of feet above ground
- The viral video revealed that rainbows are actually complete circles with a white shimmer in the centre
- South Africans flooded the comments with mixed reactions, from biblical references to flat earth theories, as many admitted they had no idea rainbows were circular
Source: TikTok
A group of skydivers captured breathtaking footage that has left social media users completely stunned after revealing what a rainbow actually looks like from high up in the sky. The video, shared by content creator @thesun on 24 September 2025, shows the incredible moment when the skydivers discovered the true shape of a rainbow while thousands of feet above ground.
The footage reveals that rainbows are actually perfect circles, not the arc shape we're used to seeing from ground level. The video shows a complete circular rainbow with all seven colours clearly visible, plus a fascinating white shimmer inside the colourful ring that can only be seen from such heights.
The skydivers managed to film the rainbow from multiple angles as they descended with their parachutes, giving viewers an amazing perspective that most people will never experience. The video quickly went viral, racking up over 4 million views, 400,000 reactions, and thousands of comments from people who couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Many viewers were completely amazed by the discovery, with some admitting they had no idea that rainbows were actually circular. The footage shows how the rainbow appears as a perfect circle when viewed from above, something that's impossible to see from ground level because the bottom half is hidden below the horizon.
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Source: TikTok
SA reacts to the circular rainbow discovery
The comments section was filled with fascinating reactions from internet users who were blown away by the revelation:
@Natalie gushed:
"The Bible even says the rainbow circles God's throne!🌈✝️🌈"
@roseylaurie asked in disbelief:
"So it's a circle?! The end of the rainbow literally doesn't exist!? 😭😅😂"
@Stephmayno expressed frustration:
"People seriously didn't know that rainbows are circles?!! I can't with this anymore 😖"
@theregorose11 joked:
"So there was never a leprechaun 😠"
@Michelle Ramos explained:
"Rainbow is a circle. It's a divine sign of God's covenant with Noah and humanity, symbolising his promise never to destroy the earth with a flood again; that's why the rainbow is a circle. It has no ends, just like God's promises."
@yajjj555 claimed:
"And that also proves we are in a dome."
@Sass Hole 🇨🇦🇨🇦 added:
"Because it's a reflection off the firmament. Full circle under a dome."
Why rainbows are circles
According to Wikipedia, rainbows are actually always full circles, but observers on the ground normally only see an arc because the lower portion is blocked by the horizon. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc, with rainbows caused by sunlight always appearing in the section of sky directly opposite the sun.
Content creator @thesun showed that from above the Earth, like during skydiving, it's possible to see a rainbow as a complete circle. This happens because the requirements for viewing the full circle can be met when there are water droplets present and sunlight that can reach them from the observer's high position. The phenomenon happens when sunlight reaches water droplets, causing refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light.
View the TikTok clip below:
Other amazing nature stories in SA
- Briefly News recently reported on a Mzansi TikTok creator who shared telescope footage of the recent Blood Moon eclipse, but the different phases captured had viewers questioning what they were actually seeing.
- A Limpopo hiker revealed the hidden Woodhead Dam at the top of Table Mountain, but the strange colour of the water left many people asking serious questions.
- A viral video showed the Hely-Hutchinson Reservoir on Table Mountain that looks exactly like a beach, leaving adventure seekers planning their next hiking trip.
Source: Briefly News
