Image of the Week
Striking images of optics and photonics, contributed by OPN readers
Modeling the Hawaiian Shoreline
Present-day coastal flood risk on the island of Hawaii, with higher risk indicated in dark blue. Sea surface temperature anomaly data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) indicate low temperatures in the east (red) to high in the west (orange). Inland, high-probability locations of wetlands are shown in bright yellow and could aid in climate-adaptation planning.
—NASA/Lisa Tanh, Matilda Anokye, Ian Lee, Connor Racette
13 Sep 2024
White-Light Interference
A glass plate placed on one of the arms of a common path interferometer creates a modified interference pattern on half the beam. Image captured in the Optics and Photonics Lab of the Technological University of Tulancingo, with the collaboration of Noel Ivan Toto Arellano.
—Ana K. Reyes, Universidad Tecnológica de Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico
06 Sep 2024
Lipid "Islands"
A close-up image of the surface of a soap bubble reveals lipid "islands” of soap floating on a very thin film of water, magnification 250×.
— Karl Gaff, Art of Science Photography, Dublin, Ireland, Wiki Science Competition 2021; CC-BY-4.0
30 Aug 2024
Swirling Magnetic Field
A close-up of Sagittarius A*, our Galaxy's central black hole, taken by radio telescopes around the world. Superposed are illustrative curved lines indicating polarized light likely emitted from swirling magnetized gas.
—EHT Collaboration
23 Aug 2024
Mayfly Beauty
Micrograph of tracheae and tracheoles in the gills of a mayfly larva, taken in polarized light and dark field.
—Marek Miś, Suwałki, Poland, Wiki Science Competition 2021; CC-BY-4.0
16 Aug 2024
Domain Walls of Foam
The disturbance observed when opening a beer bottle, likely the result of rapid expansion of gas and bubble formation, creates turbulence in the liquid, causing visible agitation or a “domain wall.”
— Nagarajan Nallusamy, CPPICS, IIT Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
09 Aug 2024
A Nephroid Caustic
A caustic is the curve line where all light rays that have been reflected from a curved surface (here the internal surface of a ceramic bowl on a blue paper sheet, and illuminated with sunlight) meet. Fujifilm XH-2, f/11, 1/3 sec, ISO-125, focal length 33 mm (50 mm equivalent on FF).
—Andrea Aiello, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany
02 Aug 2024
Heavy-Metal Stars
The 10.5-billion-year-old globular cluster, NGC 6496, is home to heavy-metal stars of a celestial kind. They are enriched with much higher proportions of metals than stars found in similar clusters.
—NASA Goddard, USA
26 Jul 2024
Sub-Pixel Colors in Silica Gel
Transparent silica gel balls, familiar desiccants for food, glitter with sub-pixel colors when placed on a smartphone screen.
—Tsuneo Horiguchi, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
19 Jul 2024
Chemical Art
Thin crystalline film of cesium chloride imaged in compensated polarized light microscopy, magnification 100×.
—Karl Gaff, Art of Science Photography, Dublin, Ireland, Wiki Science Competition 2021; CC-BY-4.0
12 Jul 2024
