Atmospheric Optics
I am forever amused by the beauty created by nature, especially when there are easily verifiable scientific reasons for their occurrences. Atmospheric Optics is a site that has some pretty neat pictures of rainbows, sun columns, circumzenithal arcs, glories, crepuscular rays, cloud shadows and such atmospheric anomalies, along with explanations of where they come from. Most are caused by sunlight passing through water droplets or ice crystals. Others are caused by the sun’s rays not being unable to pass through a cloud, a mountain or some other object. Nevertheless, the effect is almost always spectacular.
If you think about it, you’ve probably seen more than several thousands of these visual phenomena, and quite often at that, but you never stopped to think about them, or to appreciate their inherent beauty.
When it’s sunny next, gaze at the sky and look for some of these visual spectacles. Take a moment to reflect on the elegance, and the resplendant and awe-inspiring beauty of the universe. It’ll relax and brighten your day.
