'I just had to stop and take the pictures' - Spectacular double rainbow over luminous Sleaford church captured on camera

Here we have the spectacular sight of a double rainbow over a luminous St Denys’ Church, in Sleaford.
The double rainbow above St Denys' Church, Sleaford.The double rainbow above St Denys' Church, Sleaford.
The double rainbow above St Denys' Church, Sleaford.

The moment was captured by David Gutteridge, of Sleaford, at about 3.45pm last Sunday, November 6, after visiting his father, Bob.

David – who was born in the town and has lived here for almost 50 years – shared with us a number of photos from the scene.

He said: “I must have been past the market place thousands of times, but as I turned the corner in my car I just had to stop and take the pictures, as with the rainbows about the church and the sun on it against the black clouds I thought it was I one-off.”

Another one of David's photographs.Another one of David's photographs.
Another one of David's photographs.

Double rainbows are formed when sunlight is reflected twice within a raindrop, with one running red to violet and the other running violent to red.

In between the two rainbows, a dark band can be found. This is known as an Alexander's band, after Alexander of Aphrodisias who first described it in 200AD.