glory
A glory (from Glorienschein ) is a light phenomenon caused by backscattering of light on finely distributed, spherical drops such as fog or clouds . A round, bright surface surrounds the observer's shadow. The observer's head is in the middle of the bright surface. This gives an impression that is similar to that of the saints in icons. The bright area is set off from the surroundings by a colored light ring.
In contrast to a halo , a glory does not involve solid ice crystals, but liquid drops.
Glories can be observed in fog and when the sun is low. When the fog is thin, they are often accompanied by a Brocken ghost . The shadow of an airplane breaking through a deep layer of cloud is also often surrounded by glory.
Similar light phenomena are the halo , which is caused by dew drops sitting on plants, and the opposition effect , which is created by covering up shady areas. Unlike the Glory, they are not surrounded by a colored stripe.
Glory around the shadow of a hot air balloon basket
Glory on a cloud from the perspective of a paraglider pilot
Glory for the shadow of a microlight
Glory around the shadow of an Airbus A320 -200 (observation when the sun is flat from a position behind the wings )
literature
- Philip Laven: How are glories formed? In: Applied Optics . tape 44 , no. 27 , September 20, 2005, pp. 5675-5683 , doi : 10.1364 / AO.44.005675 ( philiplaven.com [PDF; 2.5 MB ]).
