Site Search and Index

Last updated on September 16, 2023

Site Search and Index: A Comprehensive Guide to Atmospheric Optics Phenomena

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on atmospheric optics phenomena! In this article, we will explore a wide range of captivating sky phenomena and delve into the fascinating world of site search and index. Whether you are a sky enthusiast, a photographer, or simply curious about the wonders of nature, this guide will provide you with a wealth of information on various atmospheric optics topics.

Aircraft and Sky Phenomena

1. Anti-crepuscular rays: Learn about the mesmerizing rays of sunlight that appear to converge at the point opposite the setting or rising sun.
2. Antisolar halos: Discover the ethereal halos that form around the antisolar point, opposite to the position of the sun in the sky.
3. Flattened sun and moon: Explore the optical illusion that causes the sun and moon to appear flattened when they are near the horizon.
4. Glory: Uncover the science behind the circular rings of colored light that sometimes appear around the shadow of an observer on a cloud or mist.
5. Lower tangent arc: Delve into the phenomenon of a faint arc that appears tangent to the top of a 22° halo, creating a captivating optical display.

Atmospheric Refraction and Crystal Halos

1. Ammonia crystal halos: Learn about the intricate ice crystal formations that can create stunning halos around the sun or moon.
2. Angles in the sky: Discover methods for estimating angles in the sky, allowing you to better understand and appreciate atmospheric phenomena.
3. Carbon dioxide crystal halos: Explore how carbon dioxide ice crystals can produce their own unique halos, adding to the diversity of atmospheric optics.
4. Atmospheric refraction: Gain insight into how the bending of light rays in the Earth's atmosphere creates captivating visual effects, such as mirages and distorted sunsets.

Halos and Optical Effects

1. Bishop's ring: Uncover the intriguing optical phenomenon that creates a bright ring of light around the shadow of an observer's head.
2. Crepuscular rays: Learn about the dramatic rays of sunlight that appear to radiate from the point where the sun breaks through gaps in clouds or objects on the horizon.
3. Heiligenschein: Explore the phenomenon of a bright spot that appears directly opposite the sun when viewing your own shadow on dew-covered grass.
4. Opposition effect: Discover the fascinating increase in brightness observed when viewing a rough-textured surface illuminated by the sun from behind the observer.
5. Rainbows: Delve into the science behind these iconic optical phenomena, including primary and secondary rainbows, higher order bows, and their relation to water droplet sizes and shapes.

Miscellaneous Atmospheric Optics Phenomena

1. Fogbows: Learn about the captivating rainbows that form in foggy conditions, with their delicate colors and distinctive white center.
2. Light pillars: Explore the vertical columns of light that appear above or below a light source, creating a mesmerizing display in cold, calm conditions.
3. Mirages: Uncover the optical illusions created by the bending of light rays, leading to the appearance of objects or landscapes that are not actually present.
4. Sun pillars: Delve into the vertical columns of light that appear above or below the sun, often accompanied by vibrant colors and a striking visual effect.

Sky Colors and Phenomena

1. Green flash: Discover the elusive green flash that can sometimes be observed on the horizon just before sunrise or after sunset, caused by atmospheric refraction.
2. Sky colors: Explore the various factors that contribute to the colors we see in the sky, including scattering of light by particles and molecules in the atmosphere.
3. Sundogs: Learn about the bright spots of light that can appear on either side of the sun, often accompanied by a halo, creating a captivating optical display.

Conclusion

In this comprehensive guide to atmospheric optics phenomena, we have explored a wide range of captivating sky phenomena and delved into the fascinating world of site search and index. From the mesmerizing halos and rays to the enchanting rainbows and mirages, the sky never ceases to amaze us with its awe-inspiring displays. Whether you are an avid sky observer or simply curious about the wonders of nature, we hope this guide has provided you with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the remarkable optical phenomena that occur in our atmosphere.

A

Aircraft - Sky phenomena from

Anti-crepuscular rays

Antisolar halos

Flattened sun and moon

Glory

Lower tangent arc

Opposition effect

Subhorizon halos

Subparhelia

Subsun

Lower sun pillars and subsun

Ammonia crystal halos

Angles in the sky - estimating them

Anthelion ~ South Pole display

Anti-crepuscular rays

Antisolar point

Centre of glory

Centre of heiligenschein

Centre of opposition effect

Convergence point of sunrays

Arcs below horizon

Arctic fogbows

Artificial light pillars

Atmospheric refraction

B

Bishop's ring

Bending of light rays

Atmospheric refraction

Mirages of sunsets

Books - sky phenomena

Brocken Spectre

C

Carbon dioxide crystal halos

Circumscribed halos

Circumzenithal arc

Cirrus cloud

Cloud bow = fogbow

Clouds

Colours - iridescence

Shadows

Sizes of droplets in

Water content of

Coloured rings around

Antisolar point opposite sun

Sun and moon

Corona

22º halo

Coloured rings around ~ continued

Shadows

Brocken Spectre

Glory

Heiligenschein

Opposition Effect

Colours at sunset

Contact arcs to 22º halo

Contrail shadows

Corona

Crepuscular rays

Crystals ~ Ice

Alignment in clouds

Diamond dust

Plates & columns

Sizes needed to make halos

D

Dew - Heigenschein

Diamond dust

Crystals

Diffraction

By water droplets

Corona formation

Glory formation

Distorted sunsets

Dogs - sundogs

Double sunsets

Dust - scattering by

E

Earth's Shadow

Etruscan vase sunset

Eye safety

Looking at halos

Looking at coronas

F

False suns = sundogs

Fata Morgana

Fisheye lens

Door viewer substitute

Mirror substitute

Fog - sizes of droplets in

Fogbows

From car headlights

Supernumerary arcs

Rainbows ~ relation to

Flattened sun

Flattened moon

G

Green flash

Glory

Formation

From the air ~ video

On mountains

Glows around shadows

Glory

Heiligenschein

Opposition effect

H

Halos

120º parhelia

22º halo

Around the Moon

Colours

Formation & ray paths

How the circle is formed

Random orientations?

46º halo

Was it a supralateral arc?

9º halo

Aligned crystals

Ammonia crystal halos

Anthelic arcs

Anthelion ~ rare

Anthelion ~ South Pole display

Antisolar arc

Antisolar region arcs

Carbon dioxide crystal halos

Circumhorizon arc

Circumscribed halo

Circumzenithal arc

Common halos

Complex halo displays

Crystals

Alignment in clouds

Cubic symmetry

Diamond dust

Plates & columns

Pyramidal - Halos from

Real crystals and defects

Sizes needed to make halos

Diffuse arcs South Pole ~ from the air

Eye care!

Frequency of occurence

Visible more often than rainbows

Frequent halos

HaloSim software

Hastings arc ~ rare

Heliac arc ~ rare

Ice crystals

Infralateral arc

Kern arc

Light pillars

Lowitz arcs

Lunar halos

22º circular

Circumscribed Halo

Moon dogs

Paraselenae

Paraselenic Circle

Heiligenschein

Hexagonal ice crystals

Hole in the sky

Halos (continued)

Multiple displays

Observing halos

Eye care!

Odd radius halos

Other world halos

Parhelia

Parhelic circle

Lunar

Many ray paths

Parry arcs

Discovery by Parry

Effect of solar altitude

Parry antisolar arc

Parry infralateral arcs ~ rare

At South Pole

Parry supralateral arcs ~ rare

At South Pole

Sunvex & Suncave

Photography

Pillars

Plate crystals

Prisms

Pyramidal crystals

Pyramidal crystal arcs

Rare halos

Why are some halos rare?

St Petersburg display

Safety!

Simulation of

Subanthelic arcs

Subhelic arc ~ rare

Drawn by Parry in 1820

Subhorizon arcs

Subparhelic circle

Subsun

Subsun dogs

Sundogs

Changes in appearance

Elongated

Sometimes blindingly bright

Sun pillars

Supralateral arc

Tape arcs

Tangent arcs

Tricker arc ~ rare

Real ice crystals - photographs

Upside down rainbow

Wegener arc ~ rare

I

Ice crystals

Sizes to produce halos

Interference

Inversion - causing distorted sunsets

Iridescence

Iridescent clouds

IRIS software

Irisation

J

Jupiter - halos on?

K

Kern arc

L

Lenticular clouds

Light pillars

Light scattering

By water droplets

Rayleigh

Mie

Links to other sites

Lowitz arcs

Lunar fogbow

Lunar halos

22º circular

Moon dogs

M

Mars

Abnormal brightness

Halos on?

Opposition effect

Mie scattering

Sunsets

Water droplets

Watery sunsets

Minimum deviation phenomena

22º halo animation

Fogbow

Rainbow

Sundogs

Mirages

OPOD mirage pages

Terrestrial, Inferior, Superior, Fata Morgana...

Sunset and sunrise mirages

Mist

Sizes of droplets in

Mist bow = fogbow

Mock suns

Moon

22º halo

Colour during total eclipse

Crepuscular rays

Dogs = Paraselenae

Fogbow

Moonrise from Earth orbit

Moonset from ISS

Why is the full moon so bright?

Mother of pearl clouds

Mountain shadows

N

Nacreous clouds

O

Opposition effect

Opposition effect on Mars

Opposition effect streak

Orientation of ice crystals

P

Paranthelia = 120º parhelia

Paraselene

Parhelia

22º

120º

Parhelic circle

Parry arcs

Parry arcs - discovery of

Perspective effects - crepuscular rays

Photographing halos

Pileus cloud iridescence

Pillars

Pilot's Bow = glory or complete rainbow

Plate crystals

Polar Stratospheric Clouds

Prisms

PSCs

Pyramidal ice crystals

R

Rainbows

AirySim

Airy theory

Alexander's dark band

Bowsim

Cloud bows

Colour purity

Cone of rays

Dew Bows

Glass bead bows

Higher order bows

Key to section

Moon bows

Not rainbows!

Raindrop shapes

Raindrop sizes

Raypaths for rainbows

Primary

Secondary

higher orders

Red bows

Reflection bows

Seawater bows

Secondary bow

Spider web bow

Spokes

Supernumerary bows

Colours

Drop size

On secondary bow

Traffic sign bows

Twinned bows

Wave theory - need for

Wheel

Zero order glow

Rainbow-like arcs

22º halo

Circumzenithal arc

Corona

Glory

Upside down rainbow

Rayleigh scattering - sunset colours

Rays

Crepuscular

Anticrepuscular

Rays of Buddha

Real ice crystals - photographs

Refraction

Atmospheric

Water drop - fogbow, heiligenschein

Rings around sun or moon

22º halo

Circumscribed halo

Corona

Odd radius halos

Ropes of Maui = crepuscular rays

S

Safety

Looking at halos

Looking at coronas

Photography

Saturn - halos on?

Scattering

Air

Clouds

Light

Mie

Rayleigh

Water droplets

Shadows

Brocken spectre

Clouds

Mist

Rocket plumes

Contrails

Shadow hiding

Shadows ~continued

Glows around

Glory

Heiligenschein

Opposition effect

Sky colours

Spectre of the Brocken

Subanthelic point = antisolar point

Halos around

Subparhelic circle

Sun pillars

Sun beams = crepuscular rays

Sun drawing water = crepuscular rays

Sundogs

Changes in appearance

Not always 22° from the sun

Sometimes blindingly bright

Sunsets

Supernumerary arcs - fogbow

Surface waves

T

Tangent arcs

Temperature inversion - at sunset

V

Venus pillar

Volcanic eruptions - sunsets

W

Water droplets in clouds and fog

Watery sunsets

White rainbow = fogbow

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Reference Atmospheric Optics

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