Comments on: The Brocken Spectre http://www.neatorama.com/2008/07/21/the-brocken-spectre/ The Neat Side of the Web Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:54:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Daz http://www.neatorama.com/2008/07/21/the-brocken-spectre/#comment-669798 Daz Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:21:34 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/?p=17405#comment-669798 Anthelion! (ann-thell-e-on) from my Collins dictionary means: a faint halo sometimes seen in high altitude regions around a shadow cast onto fog. Related to rainbows, I think. If you are up high, say in a tower or on a hill looking out into a valley with the sun behind you, rainbows are circular. You also get them if you look at your own shadow in dewy grass, especially in moonlight. A most beautiful word for a beautiful phenomenon Thanks SoLo! I love this stuff! Anthelion! (ann-thell-e-on) from my Collins dictionary means: a faint halo sometimes seen in high altitude regions around a shadow cast onto fog.
Related to rainbows, I think. If you are up high, say in a tower or on a hill looking out into a valley with the sun behind you, rainbows are circular.
You also get them if you look at your own shadow in dewy grass, especially in moonlight.
A most beautiful word for a beautiful phenomenon

Thanks SoLo! I love this stuff!

]]> By: Elan Soltes http://www.neatorama.com/2008/07/21/the-brocken-spectre/#comment-669405 Elan Soltes Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:33:40 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/?p=17405#comment-669405 One last try. http://www.atoptics.co.uk One last try. http://www.atoptics.co.uk

]]> By: Elan Soltes http://www.neatorama.com/2008/07/21/the-brocken-spectre/#comment-669403 Elan Soltes Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:32:38 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/?p=17405#comment-669403 No idea how Utah Busines made it into my last comment. Hopefully this will pass the atmospheric optics site along. No idea how Utah Busines made it into my last comment. Hopefully this will pass the atmospheric optics site along.

]]> By: Elan Soltes http://www.neatorama.com/2008/07/21/the-brocken-spectre/#comment-669399 Elan Soltes Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:30:13 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/?p=17405#comment-669399 There's a great website full of examples and explanations of various atmospheric optical phenomena. Brocken spectre is there. I discovered the site after a cross-country flight where I saw a shadow of our plane with a halo around it cast on the clouds below us -called a "glory." The web site's at There’s a great website full of examples and explanations of various atmospheric optical phenomena.
Brocken spectre is there.

I discovered the site after a cross-country flight where I saw a shadow of our plane with a halo around it cast on the clouds below us -called a “glory.”

The web site’s at

]]> By: Namowal http://www.neatorama.com/2008/07/21/the-brocken-spectre/#comment-669214 Namowal Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:22:28 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/?p=17405#comment-669214 I found a video of the Brocken spectre <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwyjlIETJi4" rel="nofollow">here.</a> I found a video of the Brocken spectre here.

]]> By: Ali S. http://www.neatorama.com/2008/07/21/the-brocken-spectre/#comment-669178 Ali S. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:52:27 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/?p=17405#comment-669178 I used to live near a large wooded area when I was a kid in Oakville, Ontario. When it used to get foggy in the morning and I was biking about the things you THINK you saw through the fog scared the pants off of me. I used to live near a large wooded area when I was a kid in Oakville, Ontario. When it used to get foggy in the morning and I was biking about the things you THINK you saw through the fog scared the pants off of me.

]]> By: JC http://www.neatorama.com/2008/07/21/the-brocken-spectre/#comment-669157 JC Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:33:06 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/?p=17405#comment-669157 Wow, thanks for sharing this info. Wow, thanks for sharing this info.

]]> By: SoLo http://www.neatorama.com/2008/07/21/the-brocken-spectre/#comment-669121 SoLo Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:02:15 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/?p=17405#comment-669121 The projected shadow can be pretty startling especially when the fog bank is stratified and moving. For me though, the "glory" seen around the head of the observer's shadow is the most fascinating. Related phenomena (without the projected shadow) include sylvanshine, heiligenschein ('holy light'), and to a lesser degree, aureoles, coronae, and irisation (the iridescent hues sometimes seen around the edges of clouds). When ice crystals are involved, atmospheric halos of many kinds are possible. These include "parhelia" (aka, 'sundogs')and parahelic arcs, paranthelia and parenthelic arcs, circumzenithal and circumhorizontal arcs, the "anthelion" and anthelic arcs, Parry arcs, heliac arcs, and pillars (to name a few- there are 30+ different types!). BTW, all of these fall under the category of "meteorological optics", if you want to do some research. The projected shadow can be pretty startling especially when the fog bank is stratified and moving. For me though, the “glory” seen around the head of the observer’s shadow is the most fascinating.

Related phenomena (without the projected shadow) include sylvanshine, heiligenschein (’holy light’), and to a lesser degree, aureoles, coronae, and irisation (the iridescent hues sometimes seen around the edges of clouds).

When ice crystals are involved, atmospheric halos of many kinds are possible. These include “parhelia” (aka, ’sundogs’)and parahelic arcs, paranthelia and parenthelic arcs, circumzenithal and circumhorizontal arcs, the “anthelion” and anthelic arcs, Parry arcs, heliac arcs, and pillars (to name a few- there are 30+ different types!). BTW, all of these fall under the category of “meteorological optics”, if you want to do some research.

]]> By: gail http://www.neatorama.com/2008/07/21/the-brocken-spectre/#comment-669085 gail Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:07:35 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/?p=17405#comment-669085 Indeed! Nonist comments about these in his post. Indeed! Nonist comments about these in his post.

]]> By: red http://www.neatorama.com/2008/07/21/the-brocken-spectre/#comment-668995 red Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:17:51 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/?p=17405#comment-668995 Inspiring stories about ghost and/or alien sightings throughout time, I'm sure. Inspiring stories about ghost and/or alien sightings throughout time, I’m sure.

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