supernumery rainbow NJ
© John Entwistle
At first glance, you might mistake the image for a painting - but it's very much real.

A NASA photographer has captured a breathtaking image of a rare 'hall of rainbows .'

The phenomenon appeared after Hurricane Florence passed over New Jersey last month.

The incredible rainbows, otherwise known as supernumerary rainbows, faded in an out for around half an hour, much to the delight of the photographer.

supernumery rainbow NJ
© John Entwistle
Supernumerary rainbows form when falling water droplets are all nearly the same size - typically around one millimetre in diameter.

As sunlight hits the water droplets, it both reflects from the inside of the raindrops and interferes - creating a ripple effect.

In the early 1800s, scientists actually considered supernumerary rainbows evidence of light's wave nature.