Chromatic Rainbow Illusion

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If you squint at this Chromatic Rainbow Illusion, you will see a rainbow like effect between the red and white lines due to chromatic aberration.

Chromatic aberration occurs when different colors of light refract at different angles, causing the image to appear blurred or distorted. In the case of this illusion, Chromatic aberration occurs when red lines are placed against a high-contrast white background, causing the viewer to perceive a rainbow-like effect along the edges of the red lines. This illusion is a result of the way our eyes perceive and process different colors of light.

If you are interested in learning more about the Chromatic Rainbow Illusion, scroll down to read more about it.

Chromatic Aberration Illusion


Table of Contents

What is the Chromatic Rainbow Illusion?

The chromatic aberration illusion occurs when different colors of light refract at different angles causing the image to appear blurred or distorted. In the image above, it occurs when red lines are placed against a high-contrast white background, causing the viewer to perceive a rainbow-like effect along the edges of the red lines. This illusion is a result of the way our eyes perceive and process different colors of light.

How does the Chromatic Rainbow Illusion Work?

The illusion works due to chromatic aberration, an optical phenomenon that occurs when different colors of light refract differently as they pass through a lens or other optical element. This causes the colors to focus at slightly different points, leading to blurred or distorted images.

To understand how chromatic aberration works, it’s important to first understand how light interacts with lenses. When light passes through a lens, it is refracted, or bent, as it changes speed. This refraction causes the light to converge, or come together, at a focal point.

However, different colors of light have different wavelengths, which means they bend at slightly different angles as they pass through a lens. This causes the different colors to focus at slightly different points, creating a blurred or distorted image with a rainbow-like halo around the edges.

Some Similar Illusions

Here are some other optical illusions similar to the Chromatic Rainbow Illusion that you might find interesting:

  1. This Chromatic Adaptation Illusion allows you to see a black and white image in full color.
  2. Chromostereopsis is an optical illusion that involves the perception of depth and three-dimensionality based on color information. It is caused by the differential refraction of light of different wavelengths, known as chromatic aberration, as it passes through a lens.
  3. The Bezold Effect is a phenomenon in color theory where a change in one color can cause the perception of the surrounding colors to change as well.
  4. Moiré patterns: These are patterns that appear when two overlapping patterns with slightly different frequencies or orientations are superimposed.
  5. Color Afterimages: After staring at a bright color for a period of time, you might see an image of that color when you look away.
  6. Stereograms: Stereograms use a combination of two images that are slightly offset from each other to create the illusion of depth.
  7. Binocular rivalry is a phenomenon that occurs when slightly different images are presented to each eye simultaneously.
  8. Troxler’s fading, is a phenomenon in which a stationary visual stimulus eventually disappears from perception, even though it is still present in the visual field.
  9. The Scintillating Grid Illusion, in which a grid of black and white squares appears to pulsate or “breathe” when viewed from the periphery of the image.
  10. Silencing is a visual phenomenon where objects that change in luminance, hue, size, or shape appear to stop changing when they move. They “freeze” in place.

Discovery of the Chromatic Rainbow Illusion

The phenomenon of chromatic aberration which underpins the Chromatic Rainbow Illusion was first described and analyzed by the English scientist Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century. Newton conducted experiments with light passing through prisms and lenses, and he found that the different colors of light were bent at different angles as they passed through the prism or lens, causing them to focus at different points.

In his book “Opticks,” published in 1704, Newton presented his findings on chromatic aberration, along with his theory of light and color. He also proposed a solution to the problem by suggesting the use of lenses made of two different types of glass with different refractive indices.

Since then, many advancements have been made in the correction of chromatic aberration, with the development of specialized lenses and lens coatings that are designed to reduce or eliminate this optical aberration.


References and Resources

In addition to the Chromatic Rainbow Illusion, please check out our complete list of illusions.