Image Description
Image Credit
Natural textures created in snow by sun and wind. Joseph Shaw
01 Jan 2007
Beach scene photographed through a filter that blocks visible light and passes near-infrared light. Joseph Shaw
Three simultaneous optical phenomena caused by the scattering of sunlight by ice crystals in the air. Joseph Shaw
A glory, caused by backscattered sunlight with the observer looking at the antisolar point. The colored rings result from scattering from spherical water droplets in the cloud. Joseph Shaw
Two simultaneous optical phenomena: a glitter pattern on the surface of Yellowstone Lake, caused by specular reflections of Sunlight from tilted wind waves, and a parhelion (sundog). Joseph Shaw
This photo shows an icy crown for a desert palm tree. The 22 degree halo is caused by reflection and refraction of sunlight in ice crystals making up cirrus clouds in the Arizona desert. Joseph Shaw
A thermal infrared image looking straight up into a sky with a flock of geese flying below thin clouds. Joseph Shaw
A thermal infrared image looking up into a partly cloudy sky. The clear portion (center) radiates cool thermal emission from atmospheric gases. Joseph Shaw
A fisheye image of the sky, showing the degree of polarization of scattered Sunlight (from blue for zero to red for 100% polarization). Joseph Shaw
Birefringence in an airplane window generates strange colors in a scene photographed through a polarizer. Joseph Shaw