Optical Phenomenon

Common optical phenomena are often due to the interaction of light from the sun or moon with the atmosphere, clouds, water, or dust and other particulates. One common example would be the Rainbow , when light from the sun is reflected off water droplets in rain as it falls to the ground. Others, such as the Green Flash , are rare due to atmospheric conditions. Some, such as instances of Fata Morgana , are commonplace only in certain locations.

Other phenomena are simply interesting aspects of Optics , or optical effects. The colors generated by a prism are often shown in classrooms for instance.

A LIST OF OPTICAL PHENOMENA

Entopic phenomena include optical phenomena arising from the structures of the Eye .

Some Optical Illusion s can be explained as observations of unusual optical phenomena.

Atmospheric optical phenomena

Afterglow

Airglow

Alexander's Band , the dark region between the two bows of a double rainbow.

Alpenglow

Anticrepuscular Rays

Auroral Light (northern and southern lights, aurora borealis and aurora australis)

Belt Of Venus

Crepuscular Rays

Elves {Link without Title}

Glories (also known as ''Brocken's Specter'' or ''Specter of the Brocken'')

the Green Ray

Halos , of Sun or Moon, including Sun Dog s

Rainbow s

Sprites {Link without Title}

Other optical phenomena

Zodiacal Light

Gegenschein

Sylvanshine

Iridescence

Optical effects

Asterism , star Gems such as star Sapphire or star Ruby .

Aura , a phenomenon in which gas or dust surrounding an object luminesces or reflects light from the object.

Aventurescence , also called the Schiller effect, spangled Gems such as Aventurine Quartz and Sunstone .

The Camera Obscura

Caustics

Chatoyancy , cat's eye Gems such as Chrysoberyl cat's eye or Aquamarine cat's eye

Chromatic Polarization

Cathodoluminescence

Diffraction , the apparent bending and spreading of light Wave s when they meet an obstruction.

Dispersion

Double Refraction

The Double-slit Experiment

Electroluminescence

Fluorescence , also called luminescence or Photoluminescence .

Phosphorescence

Metamerism as of Alexandrite

Newton's Rings

Pleochroism Gem s or Crystal s which seem ''many-colored''

Rayleigh Scattering (Why the sky is blue, sunsets are red, clouds are white, and associated phenomena)

Sonoluminescence

--- Shrimpoluminescence

Synchrotron Radiation

The separation of light into colors by a Prism

Triboluminescence

The Zeeman Effect

Thomson Scattering

Total Internal Reflection

The Umov Effect

Polarized Light -related phenomena such as Double Refraction , or Haidinger's Brush

The ability of light to travel through space or through a vacuum.

Entoptic phenomena

See Also: Entoptic phenomenon

Diffraction of light through the Eye Lashes

Floaters

Haidinger's Brush

Monocular Diplopia (or Polyplopia ) from reflections at boundaries between the various Ocular Media

Phosphene s from stimulation other than by light (e.g., mechanical, electrical) of the Rod Cell s and Cones of the eye or of other neurons of the visual system

Optical illusions

See Also: optical illusion

The unusually large size and rich color of the Moon as it rises and sets

There are many phenomena which result from either the Particle or the Wave nature of light. Some are quite subtle and observable only by precise measurement using scientific instruments. One famous observation was of the bending of light from a star by the Sun during a solar eclipse. This demonstrated that Space is curved. See Theory Of Relativity .

Observations of some phenomena such as the Photoelectric Effect , the flow of electric current in a material or through a vacuum (as in a photocell) when the material is exposed to light, led to advances in science, as they could not be easily explained by existing theory.

Unexplained phenomena

Some phenomena are still unexplained, and they could very possibly be some kind of optical phenomena. Some consider many of these "mysteries" to be simply local tourist attractions not worthy of investigation.

Marfa Light s

Hessdalen Light s

Min Min Light s

Earthquake Lights

Light Of Saratoga

Reference websites

Atmospheric Optics Reference site

SpaceW Site for reporting Aurora activity data

Spaceweather.com Official NASA site with many photos

Astronomy in New Zealand Many atmospheric optical effect photos and descriptions

Information About

Optical Phenomenon