Light phenomena in photos (14 photos)

A selection of 14 of the most beautiful natural phenomena related to the play of light.

Rainbow wall

More rare atmospheric phenomenon known as "fire rainbow" occurs when horizontal refraction of sunlight rising or setting sun through the horizontally placed ice crystals clouds. The result is a sort of wall, colored in different colors of the rainbow. Picture taken in the skies of Washington in 2006 godu.


Halo
The sun's rays are reflected off ice crystals at an angle of 22 ° with respect to the Sun in the high-altitude clouds. Different positions of ice crystals can cause modification of the halo. In the cold days can be observed the effect of "diamond dust", in this case many times the sun's rays are reflected off ice crystals.


Aircraft contrails
Jets exhausts and eddy currents at high altitudes converted ice particles in the water. Long white streaks in the sky is not nothing like water droplets in suspension.


Crepuscular rays
Sun rays of the setting sun, passing through gaps in the clouds form a clearly-marked individual beams of sunlight. Very often, these feed the sun's rays can be seen in a variety of science fiction films. This photo was taken in one of the national parks of Utah.


Northern Lights

Northern Lights is not nothing but a clash in the upper atmosphere, the sun's rays and charged particles gases Earth's magnetic field.


Star traces
A clear demonstration of the Earth's rotation. This phenomenon is quietly naked eye. To obtain such a picture is necessary to put the camera on a long exposure. The picture shows only a single North Star, located almost above the axis of the Earth, remains almost immovable.


White Rainbow

Picture taken on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The small size of the air drops of water makes it impossible for the decomposition of sunlight on the color spectrum, so the rainbow in white only.


Buddha's Light

This photo is made in China. The phenomenon is similar to the "Brocken specter." The sun's rays are reflected from atmospheric water droplets over the sea, in the midst of the shadow of bright circles of reflected beams - a shadow of an airplane.


Inverted rainbow

This unusual rainbow appears also as a result of sunlight breaking through the ice crystals that are only in certain parts of the clouds.


Mirage

Very common atmospheric phenomenon. It can be observed not only in the desert, but also on the road in the sultry heat. Formed as a result of the phenomenon of refraction of sunlight through the "lens" formed by layers of colder (at ground level) and warm (is above) the air. This kind of lens is reflected by the object, located above the horizon, in this case the sky. Picture taken in Thuringia (Germany).


Iridescent clouds

The rays of the setting sun at the right angle "bump" on the cloud water droplets. As a result of diffraction (rounding sunlight water droplets) and the interference of sunlight (decomp solar ray spectra) as in Photoshop, figure cloud poured gradient fill.


Next rocket exhausts

Next by Minotaur rocket fired US Air Force in California. Air currents blowing at different altitudes at different rates, causing distortion of the track rocket exhausts. Atmospheric water droplets, ice crystals melted also cause decomposition of sunlight on the different colors of the rainbow.


Phantom of the Brocken, Germany

This phenomenon is observed foggy morning. Prismatic solar disk appears in front of the sun, as a result of the reflection of sunlight on water droplets of fog. Curious triangular shadow, tearing rainbow disk reflected sunlight is nothing but a projection of the upper surface of the cloud.


Zodiacal light

Zodiacal light is very often masks the moonlight and artificial light cities. In a quiet moonless night on the nature likelihood that you will see the zodiacal light, is quite high. This phenomenon is observed as a result of the reflection of sunlight from cosmic dust particles surrounding the Earth.