 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 Sylvanshine

   September 16, 2022


    SylvanshineWeb

   Photographer:  Marco Meniero

   Summary Author:  Marco Meniero

   I finally managed to photograph an optical phenomenon that’s eluded me
   for years, namely the  sylvanshine, a faint reflection of light
   produced by micro-drops of water on the leaves of trees. See slighter
   brighter patches adjacent to the arrows on the above photo.
   Essentially,  dew drops on waxy leaves  reflects beams of
   sunlight back toward the observer -- a type of  backscatter
   mechanism.

   The phenomenon was explained in 1994 by  Professor Alistair Fraser,
   an expert in meteorological optics. According to his analysis, the wax
   on the leaves causes the water to form beads, which in effect become
    micro-lenses, focusing the light to a spot on the leaf's surface.
   The image at this spot is then directed in the opposite direction. This
   effect can even make certain trees appear snow-covered on moonlit
   summer nights. Photo taken from Viterbo Airport, on September 6, 2022,
   at 09:38 a.m. local time.

   Photo details: Nikon Z9 camera; Nikon S 14-24 lens; 2.8; 32 ISO; f /
   3.2; 1/160 second exposure.


   Viterbo Airport, Italy Coordinates: 42.436111, 12.061667


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    More...

Atmospheric Effects Links

     *  Atmospheric Optics
     *  Optic Picture of Day: Gruppo Astrofili Galileo Galilei
     *  Color and Light in Nature
     *  The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
     *  Refraction Index
     *  Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
     *  What is a Rainbow?

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   Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the  Universities
   Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu
 
