EPOD - a service of USRA
The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.
Brocken Spectre and Glory Observed from Viterbo Airport, Italy
February 17, 2023
Gloria-e-Spettro
Fogbow-Gloria-Spettro
Photographer: Marco Meniero
Summary Author: Marco Meniero
Suppose we're standing on a hill and the Sun is shining behind us, our
shadow is projected onto the fog below and is apparently transformed
into a pyramid-shaped silhouette with its apex at the antisolar
point, right where the shadow of our head appears. This shadow is
called the Brocken Spectre (top photo) and was coined years ago
during observations held on the Hartz Mountains in Germany. If the apex
of the shadow is surrounded by a luminous halo then this is referred to
as a Glory (bottom photo), which can often be seen from the window
seat on a commercial jet. The Glory, like the Brocken Specter is an
antisolar phenomenon, and both result from the diffraction of
sunlight.
According to atmospheric physicist Robert Greenler, the halos drawn on
the heads of the saints in art history seem to be an
interpretation/reproduction of the Glory. Based on a theory formulated
by Van De Hulst H. C, the rings of the Glory are formed by water
droplets or minute ice crystals found in stratus-type clouds. The
radius of the concentric rings can vary from a minimum of 1.2° to a
maximum of 8.3°. Photos taken on December 28, 2022.
Photo details: Nikon Z9 camera; ISO 32; optic Nikon S14-12/2.8 lens;
f/4.5).
Viterbo Airport, Italy Coordinates: 42.436111, 12.061667
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Brocken Spectre and Glory Observed from Viterbo Airport, Italy
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Montreal, Canada The Fisherman and the Full Omega Moon Inferior
Mirage off the Coast of Sicily Crepuscular Rays Observed from
Italian Alps
More...
Atmospheric Effects Links
* Atmospheric Optics
* Optic Picture of Day: Gruppo Astrofili Galileo Galilei
* Color and Light in Nature
* The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
* Refraction Index
* Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
* What is a Rainbow?
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Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.
https://epod.usra.edu
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