This optical illusion is rarer than a rainbow and tricky to see in Australia. So what actually is a fogbow?

‘Like a rainbow, but it’s white’: A fogbow is seen at a farm in Cobar, in outback New South Wales. Photograph: Marie Johnson

When Marie Johnson woke up one foggy morning, she just had a feeling it would be eye-catching.

“It was first thing in the morning, when I was heading into town to work. I just thought I’ll quickly call in, get a photo of the fog with the old house,” says Johnson, who lives on a historic farm in Cobar, in outback New South Wales.