Glory & Sky Brocken Spectre - OPOD

Last updated on September 16, 2023

Glory & Sky Brocken Spectre: A Fascinating Atmospheric Phenomenon

Have you ever witnessed a captivating atmospheric spectacle while flying through the clouds? György Soponyai had an extraordinary experience during his descent between Frankfurt and Budapest. Just before disappearing into the clouds, he observed a remarkable phenomenon known as the glory and the Sky Brocken spectre. Let's delve into the details of these captivating atmospheric optics phenomena.

The journey began with the appearance of a faint round rainbow, forming what is known as a glory. This optical phenomenon occurs when sunlight interacts with water droplets near the cloud's edge, diffracting the light and creating concentric rings of colors. The glory is often observed from an aircraft when the observer is situated between the sun and a cloud layer. As Soponyai gazed at the glory, he noticed a small dark dot emerging at its center, gradually transforming into the silhouette of the Airbus A320 he was aboard.

As the aircraft approached the clouds, Soponyai noticed a peculiar distortion and elongation of the plane's shadow. This distortion resembled the famous Brocken spectre, which is typically observed on hillsides. The Brocken spectre appears as a magnified and elongated shadow of an observer cast onto mist or clouds below. Similarly, in this case, the airplane shadow exhibited distortions, with one wing and the fuselage front appearing enlarged and elongated.

The distortions observed in the airplane shadow are a result of being inside the shadow itself. When an object casts a shadow on a hillside or through a layer of clouds, the shadow takes the form of a long tube of unlit air. Observers looking along this shadow see it tapering away into the distance, causing the distortions and elongations in its shape.

The airplane shadow can be a combination of two phenomena: a 2D dark patch cast onto lower clouds and a 3D shadow tube through the air. The interplay between these two aspects creates the unique distortions observed by Soponyai. The rough edge of the cloud level further adds to the chaotic changes in size and form of the shadow seconds before reaching the clouds.

This intriguing atmospheric optics phenomenon showcases the complex interactions between light, water droplets, and the geometry of the observer's position. By understanding the science behind these phenomena, we can appreciate the beauty and intricacies of the natural world.

In summary, the glory and Sky Brocken spectre are captivating atmospheric phenomena that can be observed during certain weather conditions. The glory, a circular rainbow formed by diffracted light, appears when sunlight interacts with water droplets near the cloud's edge. On the other hand, the Sky Brocken spectre manifests as a distorted and elongated shadow cast onto mist or clouds. These phenomena serve as reminders of the mesmerizing wonders that can be witnessed when we take a moment to observe and appreciate the world around us.

Glory & Sky Brocken Spectre

A sighting by György Soponyai between Frankfurt and Budapest.

"During the descent, shortly before we sank into the clouds the glory appeared. At first it was only a faint round rainbow, then a small dark dot appeared in its center that slowly transformed into the silhouette of the plane (Airbus A320). Seconds before reaching the clouds, the plane shadow's size and form started to change chaotically: blown up -- disappear -- normal size -- small dot -- and so on. I guess these changes were caused by the rough edge of the cloud level."

There is something else. Look at the curious distortion and elongation of the 'plane shadow.

©György Soponyai, shown with permission

The aircraft shadow is distorted. One wing is enlarged and elongated. So is the fuselage front.

The distortions are like those of the Brocken spectre seen on hillsides. The figure looms with grotesquely long legs and arms.

We see these distortions because we are inside the shadow. The shadow of the aircraft or ourself on a hillside is a long tube of unlit air. We look along it and see it tapering away into the distance.

The airplane shadow can be a combination of a 2D dark patch cast onto lower cloud and the 3D shadow tube through the air.

The glory is a quite separate phenomenon. Water droplets close to the cloud edge diffract light back towards the camera to form the multi-coloured rings.

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Reference Atmospheric Optics

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