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This NASA article claims that Titan, one of Saturn's moons, has a wet climate and occasionally, rainbows occur when sunlight refracts off these "water" droplets. However, these droplets are composed mainly of methane, rather than hydrogen and oxygen as on Earth.

The article claims that rainbows occur on Jupiter and some other planets or their moons, as well. If one were on one of these planets or moons and saw a rainbow, would one make a bracha, or is the concept of a rainbow defined only by how Earth forms rainbows?

kouty
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DanF
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    It's pretty clear the instituters of that blessing did not consider this possibility. – Double AA Nov 29 '16 at 19:47
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    Is there reason to believe that the concept of a rainbow is defined only by how Earth forms rainbows? Why wouldn't any refraction and dispersion of light constitute a "halachic" rainbow? – Chaim Nov 29 '16 at 20:14
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    Is halacha applicable on anywhere but Earth? – ezra Nov 29 '16 at 20:15
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    @EzraHoerster Probably yes http://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/55271/759 – Double AA Nov 29 '16 at 20:22
  • if they are methane then they are not water droplets – ray Nov 29 '16 at 21:02
  • @ray I've stated that claim in my question. Is that a criteria for a rainbow, halachically? Also, based on other MY questions, it seems that one can make a bracha on rainbow "prisms" according to some opinions. These are caused by cirrus clouds which contain ice. So, it doesn't have to be condensed water, necessarily. – DanF Nov 29 '16 at 22:19
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    Also, based on other MY questions, it seems that one can make a bracha on rainbow "prisms" according to some opinions This seems highly relevant. Consider editing in a link. – mevaqesh Nov 30 '16 at 05:43
  • why should the location be important if the bracha is on a rainbow and not on the location of the rainbow? – Dude Dec 02 '16 at 21:17
  • @Dude I'm not as much concerned about the location as the composition of "water" and how the rainbow is formed. I think the main issue is that the reference to the covenant mentioned in the blessing may be a major aspect with the type of rainbow for which we may say the blessing. – DanF Dec 04 '16 at 00:12

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