This glory illusion is an optical phenomenon that occurs when sunlight is scattered backwards by small water droplets in the atmosphere, such as in clouds or mist.
The glory appears to be an illusory or magical phenomenon, as the circular rings may appear to be floating in the air around the observer’s shadow.
Check out these images of the Glory Illusion and then scroll down to learn a bit about how it works.
Table of Contents
- What is the Glory Illusion?
- How does the Glory Illusion work?
- Discovery of the Glory Illusion
- References and Resources
What is the Glory Illusion?
The Glory Illusion is an optical phenomenon that occurs when sunlight is scattered backwards by small water droplets in the atmosphere, such as in clouds or mist.
When an observer looks down at a cloud or mist, they may see a circular halo of colored rings around their shadow, with the observer at the center. The colors of the rings can range from blue to red, with red appearing on the outermost ring. This effect is caused by the diffraction and interference of light waves as they pass through the water droplets and reflect back towards the observer’s eyes.
The term “glory illusion” refers to the fact that the glory appears to be an illusory or magical phenomenon, as the circular rings may appear to be floating in the air around the observer’s shadow.
How does the Glory Illusion Work?
The glory is an optical phenomenon that occurs when sunlight is scattered backwards by small water droplets in the atmosphere, such as in clouds or mist. The process can be explained as follows:
- When sunlight enters a cloud or mist, it encounters small water droplets suspended in the air.
- The sunlight is scattered in all directions by the water droplets, causing it to be spread out and diffracted.
- Some of the scattered light is scattered back towards the observer’s direction.
- When the scattered light waves pass through the water droplets again and reflect back towards the observer’s eyes, they interfere with each other and create a series of colored rings.
- The colors of the rings are determined by the wavelength of the light waves and the size of the water droplets. Blue light waves have shorter wavelengths and are diffracted more than longer wavelength red light waves, so blue appears on the innermost ring and red on the outermost ring.
- The observer’s shadow is at the center of the circular rings, and the rings appear to be centered around the observer’s head or body, creating the illusion of a floating halo.
The glory phenomenon is similar to other optical phenomena, such as rainbows, but it occurs on a smaller scale and in a different orientation, as the rings are centered around the observer’s shadow rather than the sun.
The Glory Illusion – Related Phenomenon
There are several other optical illusions and phenomena that are similar to the glory:
Rainbow: A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that occurs when sunlight is refracted and reflected by water droplets in the atmosphere, creating a spectrum of colors in the sky. Like the glory, the colors of a rainbow are determined by the wavelength of light and the size of the water droplets.
Halo: A halo is a ring of light that appears around the sun or moon. It is caused by the refraction of light through ice crystals in the upper atmosphere, and can have a similar circular appearance to the glory.
Sun dogs: Sun dogs are patches of bright light that appear on either side of the sun, and are caused by the refraction of sunlight through ice crystals in the atmosphere. They can have a circular appearance and may be mistaken for a glory.
Heiligenschein: Heiligenschein is a German word meaning “halo of the saints,” and refers to a circular patch of light that appears around the shadow of an observer on dewy grass or other surfaces. It is caused by the reflection and refraction of light within the water droplets on the surface.
Brocken spectre: A Brocken spectre is a magnified shadow that appears on clouds or mist, with the observer’s head at the center. It is caused by the scattering and refraction of light by water droplets, and can have a similar circular appearance to the glory.
Overall, these phenomena all involve the interaction of light with water droplets or ice crystals in the atmosphere, and can create a variety of beautiful and fascinating optical illusions.
Discovery of the Glory Illusion
The glory was first observed and documented by a British scientist named Robert Boyle in the mid-17th century. Boyle was an early pioneer of experimental science and made many important contributions to physics and chemistry, including the discovery of Boyle’s Law, which describes the relationship between the volume and pressure of a gas.
In addition to his work on gases, Boyle was also interested in optical phenomena and conducted experiments to understand how light interacts with various materials and surfaces. He observed the glory while traveling through the Alps in the 1660s, and wrote about the phenomenon in his book “New Experiments and Observations Touching Cold” published in 1665.
Since Boyle’s initial discovery, the glory has been studied and observed by many scientists and researchers around the world, and it continues to fascinate and intrigue observers with its magical and colorful appearance.
References and Resources
Check out our complete list of illusions.