Lunar Corona, Argentina - OPOD

Last updated on September 16, 2023

Lunar Corona: A Delicate Display of Pastel Colors

In Argentina, Sergio Montéfar captured a stunning image of a lunar corona, showcasing the intricate and subtle pastel colors that adorn this atmospheric optical phenomenon. The central aureole of the corona exhibits a gentle transition from pale blue to yellow and eventually to shades of red at its outer edge. Unlike the vibrant and saturated hues seen in other atmospheric phenomena such as circumzenithal arc halos or rainbows, the colors in a lunar corona are mixtures, blending together harmoniously.

The first ring of the corona displays a range of colors, starting with blues and gradually shifting towards subdued greens before transitioning into deeper red tones. The size of the corona's colored rings varies, with red light coronae appearing larger than their blue counterparts. It is worth noting that the white light corona is a composite of different spectral colors, resulting in a captivating visual spectacle. To fully appreciate the dynamic nature of the lunar corona, one can explore an animation on the corresponding webpage by adjusting the slider.

Sergio Montéfar skillfully produced this remarkable image by manually aligning and stacking multiple photographs taken with varying exposures. Using Photoshop, he combined these images by overlaying them as layers and skillfully employing masks to reveal the intricate details of the moon and other regions within the corona. The elongated trails of stars visible in the corners of the photo were captured during the longest exposure, adding an additional element of celestial beauty to the composition.

The formation of a lunar corona is attributed to diffraction, which occurs when light encounters small droplets within clouds. These droplets cause the light to scatter and interfere with each other, resulting in the creation of a corona. Similarly, high cirrus clouds composed of tiny ice crystals can also produce coronae, although they tend to be less well-defined compared to those formed by water droplets.

In observing a lunar corona, it is interesting to note that the human eye primarily distinguishes the rings based on their color rather than variations in brightness. This phenomenon highlights the unique and captivating nature of the corona, where colors play a vital role in shaping its visual appearance.

As with many atmospheric optics phenomena, capturing the beauty of a lunar corona requires both technical skill and an understanding of the underlying physics. Sergio Montéfar's photograph serves as a testament to the meticulous process involved in producing such breathtaking imagery. It also reminds us of the immense beauty and complexity present in our atmosphere, where even the simplest interactions between light and particles can give rise to awe-inspiring displays.

Please note that this article has been automatically converted from the original site and may not appear exactly as intended. You can find the original article on lunar corona here.

Lunar Corona

By Sergio Mont�far in Argentina.

This image shows well the delicate pastel colours of a corona. The central aureole is very slightly blue grading to pale yellow and reds at its edge. the first ring starts with blues and shifts then through subdued greens to more reds.

No colours are saturated like those we see in a circumzenithal arc halo or parts of a rainbow. Instead they are mixtures. Red light coronae are larger than blue ones. A white light corona is an additive composite of the different spectral colours. Move the slider over the animation on this page.

This picture also shows nicely that we distinguish rings almost by colour alone rather than by differences in brightness.

Image ©Sergio Mont�far, shown with permission

Sergio produced the picture by manually aligning and stacking several images with different exposures.

"I opened all images as layers into one document in Photoshop, aligned the layers and then combined them using masks. There was one for details on the moon which was the shorter exposure, then the rest to reveal the other areas of the corona. The star trails that you see in the corners of the photo are from the longest exposure.

Diffraction by small droplets in cloud has likely produced the corona. Small ice crystals in high cirrus also do the same although their coronae are usually less well defined.

Note: this article has been automatically converted from the old site and may not appear as intended. You can find the original article here.

Reference Atmospheric Optics

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