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Optical phenomena are any observable events that result from the interaction of light and matter. All optical phenomena coincide with quantum phenomena. [ 1 ] Common optical phenomena are often due to the interaction of light from the Sun or Moon with the atmosphere, clouds, water, dust, and other particulates.
Also they are also viewed in days when the sun hits the clouds in a perfect angle shining upon the area. There are three primary forms of crepuscular rays [citation needed]: Rays of light penetrating holes in low clouds (also called "Jacob's Ladder"). Beams of light diverging from behind a cloud.
Here, the path of sunlight through the atmosphere is elongated such that much of the blue or green light is scattered away from the line of perceivable visible light. This phenomenon leaves the Sun's rays, and the clouds they illuminate, abundantly orange-to-red in colors, which one sees when looking at a sunset or sunrise.
A light pillar, or sun pillar, appears as a vertical pillar or column of light rising from the Sun near sunset or sunrise, though it can appear below the Sun, particularly if the observer is at a high elevation or altitude. Hexagonal plate- and column-shaped ice crystals cause the phenomenon.
The sun emits shortwave radiation on the visible light spectrum, and in a process called Rayleigh Scattering, the shorter wavelengths -- including blues and purples on the visible light spectrum ...
Two sun dogs often flank the Sun within a 22° halo. The sun dog is a member of the family of halos caused by the refraction of sunlight by ice crystals in the atmosphere. Sun dogs typically appear as a pair of subtly colored patches of light, around 22° to the left and right of the Sun, and at the same altitude above the horizon as the Sun ...
When a veil of clouds drapes the sky, be on the lookout for sun dogs -- pieces of rainbows that glow to the left and right of the sun. They often appear in pairs when sunlight shines through thin ...
Now that the sun is at the height of its 11-year cycle, the increase in solar activity has more frequently fueled "space weather" that produces the right conditions for northern lights to flourish