Atmospheric optics
The Atmospheric Optics is a part of the field of optics and employs an interdisciplinary approach - together with meteorology - with optical phenomena in the atmosphere.
The interest in these phenomena is the one in the elucidation of the causes of this sometimes quite impressive phenomena and on the other hand the ability to draw conclusions on specific weather conditions and atmospheric stratification.
Examples are:
- Blue sky light, shadow
- Dawn and sunset ( dusk )
- Rainbow, Fog bow, Dew Bow, lunar rainbow
- Spectre of the Brocken
- Noctilucent clouds
- Green Lightning
- Irrlichter
- Purple Light
- Alpenglow
- Halo phenomena such as 22 ° -halo, sundogs, moondogs, light pillar, circumzenithal etc.
- Light pencil
- Sheet lightning
- Aurora
- Colored shadows
- Mirage
- Heat shimmer
- Airglow
The Iridium flare, however, is a reflection of light caused by reflection of sunlight on satellite antennas outside the Earth's atmosphere. Also, the zodiacal light has its origin outside the Earth's atmosphere and thus not part of the Atmospheric Optics.