What do we call the refraction, reflection and dispersal of the sun's rays caused by raindrops in the sky
"called the Fata Morgana, occurs with a temperature inversion, in which objects on the horizon or even beyond the horizon (e.g. islands, cliffs, ships, and icebergs) appear elongated and elevated, like ""fairy tale castles"". Rainbows are the result of a combination of internal reflection and dispersive refraction of light in raindrops. Because rainbows are seen on the opposite side of the sky as the sun, rainbows are more prominent the closer the sun is to the horizon due to their greater distance apart. In the Book of Optics (1011–22 AD), Ibn al-Haytham argued that vision occurs in the brain, and"
"as rainbows and the aurora borealis offer many clues as to the nature of light. Refraction is the bending of light rays when passing through a surface between one transparent material and another. It is described by Snell's Law: where θ is the angle between the ray and the surface normal in the first medium, θ is the angle between the ray and the surface normal in the second medium, and n and n are the indices of refraction, ""n"" = 1 in a vacuum and ""n"" > 1 in a transparent substance. When a beam of light crosses the"
"and dawn. Scattering off of ice crystals and other particles in the atmosphere are responsible for halos, afterglows, coronas, crepuscular rays, and sun dogs. The variation in these kinds of phenomena is due to different particle sizes and geometries. Mirages are optical phenomena in which light rays are bent due to thermal variations in the refraction index of air, producing displaced or heavily distorted images of distant objects. Other optical phenomena associated with this include the Novaya Zemlya effect, where the Sun appears to rise earlier or set later than predicted with a distorted shape. A spectacular form of refraction,"
"Atmospheric refraction is considered in measuring the position of both celestial and terrestrial objects. Astronomical or celestial refraction causes astronomical objects to appear higher above the horizon than they actually are. Terrestrial refraction usually causes terrestrial objects to appear higher than they actually are, although in the afternoon when the air near the ground is heated, the rays can curve upward making objects appear lower than they actually are. Refraction not only affects visible light rays, but all electromagnetic radiation, although in varying degrees. For example, in the visible spectrum, blue is more affected than red. This may cause astronomical"
"Atmospheric refraction Atmospheric refraction is the deviation of light or other electromagnetic wave from a straight line as it passes through the atmosphere due to the variation in air density as a function of height. This refraction is due to the velocity of light through air, decreasing (the refractive index increases) with increased density. Atmospheric refraction near the ground produces mirages. Such refraction can also raise or lower, or stretch or shorten, the images of distant objects without involving mirages. Turbulent air can make distant objects appear to twinkle or shimmer. The term also applies to the refraction of sound."
"the number of distinct colours observed and what these are called depend on the language that one uses with people whose language has fewer colour words seeing fewer discrete colour bands. When sunlight encounters a raindrop, part of the light is reflected and the rest enters the raindrop. The light is refracted at the surface of the raindrop. When this light hits the back of the raindrop, some of it is reflected off the back. When the internally reflected light reaches the surface again, once more some is internally reflected and some is refracted as it exits the drop. (The"
"various deformations of the Sun's apparent shape soon before sunset or after sunrise. Astronomical refraction deals with the angular position of celestial bodies, their appearance as a point source, and through differential refraction, the shape of extended bodies such as the Sun and Moon. Atmospheric refraction of the light from a star is zero in the zenith, less than 1′ (one arc-minute) at 45° apparent altitude, and still only 5.3′ at 10° altitude; it quickly increases as altitude decreases, reaching 9.9′ at 5° altitude, 18.4′ at 2° altitude, and 35.4′ at the horizon; all values are for 10 °C and"
"albeit the image also fades from view as this limit is approached. Refraction is also responsible for rainbows and for the splitting of white light into a rainbow-spectrum as it passes through a glass prism. Glass has a higher refractive index than air. When a beam of white light passes from air into a material having an index of refraction that varies with frequency, a phenomenon known as dispersion occurs, in which different coloured components of the white light are refracted at different angles, i.e., they bend by different amounts at the interface, so that they become separated. The different"
"section of sky directly opposite the sun, but originate no further than 42 degrees above the horizon for observers on the ground. To see them at higher angles, an observer would need to be in an airplane or near a mountaintop since the rainbow would otherwise be below the horizon. The bigger the droplets which formed the rainbow, the brighter it will be. Rainbows are most common near afternoon thunderstorms during the summer. A single reflection off the backs of an array of raindrops produces a rainbow with an angular size on the sky that ranges from 40° to 42°"
"much larger than the wavelength but smaller than a particle. Rays hitting the particle undergoes reflection, refraction and diffraction. These rays exit in various directions with different amplitudes and phases. Such ray tracing techniques are used to describe optical phenomena such as rainbow of halo on hexagonal ice crystals for large particles. Review of several mathematical techniques is provided in series of publications. The 46° halo was first explained as being caused by refractions through ice crystals in 1679 by the French physicist Edmé Mariotte (1620–1684) in terms of light refraction Jacobowitz in 1971 was the first to apply the"
"Subsun A subsun or ""sub-sun"" is a glowing spot that can be seen within clouds or haze when observed from above. The subsun appears directly below the sun, and is caused by its light reflecting off of numerous tiny ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. As such the effect belongs to the family of halos. The region of ice crystals acts as a large mirror, creating a virtual image of the sun which appears below the horizon, analogous to the sun's reflection in a body of water. The ice crystals responsible for a subsun are typically in the shape of"
"caused by the reflection and refraction of sunlight by small ice crystals in the atmosphere, often in the form of cirrostratus clouds. Depending on which variety of ""false sunset"" is meant, the halo has to appear either above the Sun (which itself is hidden below the horizon) or below it (in which case the real Sun is obstructed from view, e.g. by clouds or other objects), making the upper and lower tangent arc, upper and lower sun pillars and the subsun the most likely candidates. Similarly to a false sunrise, other atmospheric circumstances may be responsible for the effect as"
"Since the amount of atmospheric refraction is a function of the temperature gradient, temperature, pressure, and humidity (the amount of water vapor, which is especially important at mid-infrared wavelengths), the amount of effort needed for a successful compensation can be prohibitive. Surveyors, on the other hand, will often schedule their observations in the afternoon, when the magnitude of refraction is minimum. Atmospheric refraction becomes more severe when temperature gradients are strong, and refraction is not uniform when the atmosphere is heterogeneous, as when turbulence occurs in the air. This causes suboptimal seeing conditions, such as the twinkling of stars and"
"term is related to the Breton word ""kog-heol"" (sun cock) which has the same meaning. In Nepal, the halo round the sun is called ""Indrasabha"" with a connotation of the assembly court of Lord Indra – the Hindu god of lightning, thunder and rain. The natural phenomena may be reproduced artificially by several means. Firstly, by computer simulations, or secondly by experimental means. Regarding the latter, one may either take a single crystal and rotate it around the appropriate axis/axes, or take a chemical approach. A still further and more indirect experimental approach is to find analogous refraction geometries. This"
"surrounding the airplane's shadow on clouds (this is often called ""The Glory of the Pilot""). Glories can also be seen from mountains and tall buildings, when there are clouds or fog below the level of the observer, or on days with ground fog. The glory is related to the optical phenomenon anthelion. A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on to droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere. It takes the form of a multicolored arc. Rainbows caused by sunlight always appear in the"
"which light rays are bent due to thermal variations in the refraction index of air, producing displaced or heavily distorted images of distant objects. Other dramatic optical phenomena associated with this include the Novaya Zemlya effect where the sun appears to rise earlier than predicted with a distorted shape. A spectacular form of refraction occurs with a temperature inversion called the Fata Morgana where objects on the horizon or even beyond the horizon, such as islands, cliffs, ships or icebergs, appear elongated and elevated, like ""fairy tale castles"". Rainbows are the result of a combination of internal reflection and dispersive"
"Scattering Scattering is a general physical process where some forms of radiation, such as light, sound, or moving particles, are forced to deviate from a straight trajectory by one or more paths due to localized non-uniformities in the medium through which they pass. In conventional use, this also includes deviation of reflected radiation from the angle predicted by the law of reflection. Reflections that undergo scattering are often called ""diffuse reflections"" and unscattered reflections are called ""specular"" (mirror-like) reflections. Scattering may also refer to particle-particle collisions between molecules, atoms, electrons, photons and other particles. Examples include: cosmic ray scattering in"
"Circumzenithal arc The circumzenithal arc, also called the circumzenith arc (CZA), upside-down rainbow, and the Bravais arc, is an optical phenomenon similar in appearance to a rainbow, but belonging to the family of halos arising from refraction of sunlight through ice crystals, generally in cirrus or cirrostratus clouds, rather than from raindrops. The arc is located at a considerable distance (approximately 46°) above the sun and at most forms a quarter of a circle centered on the zenith. It has been called ""a smile in the sky"", its first impression being that of an upside-down rainbow. The CZA is one"
"Backscatter In physics, backscatter (or backscattering) is the reflection of waves, particles, or signals back to the direction from which they came. It is a diffuse reflection due to scattering, as opposed to specular reflection as from a mirror. Backscattering has important applications in astronomy, photography, and medical ultrasonography. The opposite effect is forward scatter, e.g. when a translucent material like a cloud diffuses sunlight, giving soft light. Backscattering can occur in quite different physical situations, where the incoming waves or particles are deflected from their original direction by different mechanisms: Sometimes, the scattering is more or less isotropic, i."
"of the particles. The result is a pattern of rings, which seem to emanate from the Sun, the Moon, a planet, or another astronomical object. The most distinct part of this pattern is a central, nearly white disk. This resembles an atmospheric Airy disc but is not actually an Airy disk. It is distinct from rainbows and halos, which are mainly caused by refraction. The left photo shows a diffraction ring around the rising Sun caused by a veil of aerosol. This effect dramatically disappeared when the Sun rose high enough until the pattern was no longer visible on the"
"telescopes. They perturb astronomical seeing conditions. Terrestrial refraction, sometimes called geodetic refraction, deals with the apparent angular position and measured distance of terrestrial bodies. It is of special concern for the production of precise maps and surveys. Since the line of sight in terrestrial refraction passes near the earth's surface, the magnitude of refraction depends chiefly on the temperature gradient near the ground, which varies widely at different times of day, seasons of the year, the nature of the terrain, the state of the weather, and other factors. As a common approximation, terrestrial refraction is considered as a constant bending"
"of the year (dn), is given to a good approximation by Sunlight Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon. When the direct solar radiation is not blocked by clouds, it is experienced as sunshine, a combination of bright light and radiant heat. When it is blocked by clouds or reflects off other objects, it is experienced as diffused light. The World Meteorological Organization uses the term ""sunshine"
"Crepuscular rays Crepuscular rays (more commonly known as sunbeams, sun rays, splintered light, or god rays), in atmospheric optics, are rays of sunlight that appear to radiate from the point in the sky where the Sun is located. Shining through openings in clouds (particularly stratocumulus) or between other objects, these columns of sunlit particulates are separated by darker cloud-shadowed volumes. Despite seeming to converge toward the light source, the rays are in fact near-parallel shafts of sunlight. Their apparent convergence is a perspective effect. This phenomenon mimics the way parallel railway lines or long hallways, for example, seem to seek"
"Backscatter (photography) In photography, backscatter (also called near-camera reflection) is an optical phenomenon resulting in typically circular artifacts on an image, due to the camera's flash being reflected from unfocused motes of dust, water droplets, or other particles in the air or water. It is especially common with modern compact and ultra-compact digital cameras. Caused by the backscatter of light by unfocused particles, these artifacts are also sometimes called orbs, referring to a common paranormal claim. Some appear with trails, suggesting motion. Backscatter commonly occurs in low-light scenes when the camera's flash is used. Cases include nighttime and underwater photography,"
"Mirage of astronomical objects A mirage of an astronomical object is an atmospheric optical phenomenon, in which light rays are bent to produce distorted or multiple images of an astronomical object. The mirages might be observed for such celestial objects as the Sun, the Moon, the planets, bright stars, and very bright comets. The most commonly observed of these are sunset and sunrise mirages. Mirages are distinguished from other phenomena caused by atmospheric refraction. One of the most prominent features of mirages is that a mirage might only produce images vertically, not sideways, while a simple refraction might distort and"
"for mirages seen on hot days where the changing index of refraction of the air causes the light rays to bend creating the appearance of specular reflections in the distance (as if on the surface of a pool of water). Material that has a varying index of refraction is called a gradient-index (GRIN) material and has many useful properties used in modern optical scanning technologies including photocopiers and scanners. The phenomenon is studied in the field of gradient-index optics. A device which produces converging or diverging light rays due to refraction is known as a lens. Thin lenses produce focal"
"Earth's surface. This phenomenon is sometimes called the corona effect, not to be confused with the solar corona. On the right is a 1/10-second exposure showing an overexposed full moon. The Moon is seen through thin vaporous clouds, which glow with a bright disk surrounded by an illuminated red ring. A longer exposure would show more faint colors beyond the outside red ring. Another form of atmospheric diffraction or bending of light occurs when light moves through fine layers of particulate dust trapped primarily in the middle layers of the troposphere. This effect differs from water based atmospheric diffraction because"
"Dewbow A dewbow is an optical effect, similar to a rainbow, where dewdrops instead of rain droplets reflect and disperse sunlight. Dewbows can be seen on fields covered with dew, when the sun shines. Dew forms outdoors in the early morning after a clear night, when the surface temperature drops below the dew point. It forms most easily on surfaces that are isolated from conducted heat from deep ground, such as grass, leaves, and spider webs. Dew bows will be clearest on fields littered with cobwebs, as may occur in autumn. A ""rainbow"" is perceived as a circle in the"
"seen below and above the horizon, originating from different light paths. Their names are slightly different. A reflected rainbow may appear in the water surface below the horizon. The sunlight is first deflected by the raindrops, and then reflected off the body of water, before reaching the observer. The reflected rainbow is frequently visible, at least partially, even in small puddles. A reflection rainbow may be produced where sunlight reflects off a body of water before reaching the raindrops (see diagram and ), if the water body is large, quiet over its entire surface, and close to the rain curtain."
"Refraction In physics refraction is the change in direction of a wave passing from one medium to another or from a gradual change in the medium. Refraction of light is the most commonly observed phenomenon, but other waves such as sound waves and water waves also experience refraction. How much a wave is refracted is determined by the change in wave speed and the initial direction of wave propagation relative to the direction of change in speed. For light, refraction follows Snell's law, which states that, for a given pair of media, the ratio of the sines of the angle"
"agreed that orbs result from natural phenomena such as insects, dust, pollen, or water vapor. Backscatter (photography) In photography, backscatter (also called near-camera reflection) is an optical phenomenon resulting in typically circular artifacts on an image, due to the camera's flash being reflected from unfocused motes of dust, water droplets, or other particles in the air or water. It is especially common with modern compact and ultra-compact digital cameras. Caused by the backscatter of light by unfocused particles, these artifacts are also sometimes called orbs, referring to a common paranormal claim. Some appear with trails, suggesting motion. Backscatter commonly occurs"
"halo about the head of the observer, produced by light backscattered (a combination of diffraction, reflection and refraction) towards its source by a cloud of uniformly sized water droplets. A glory has multiple colored rings, with red colors on the outermost ring and blue/violet colors on the innermost ring. The angular distance is much smaller than a rainbow, ranging between 5° and 20°, depending on the size of the droplets. The glory can only be seen when the observer is directly between the sun and cloud of refracting water droplets. Hence, it is commonly observed while airborne, with the glory"
"Diffuse sky radiation Diffuse sky radiation is solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface after having been scattered from the direct solar beam by molecules or particulates in the atmosphere. Also called sky radiation, diffuse skylight, or just skylight, it is the reason for the color changes of the sky. Of the total light removed from the direct solar beam by scattering in the atmosphere (approximately 25% of the incident radiation when and where the Sun is high in the sky, depending on the amount of dust, haze, and other particulates in the atmosphere), about two-thirds ultimately reaches the earth as"