Layer Cake Sunset
On January 18 a tantalizing sunset was captured in this snapshot. Seemingly sliced into many horizontal layers the Sun shimmered moments before it touched the horizon, setting over the Pacific Ocean as seen from the mountaintop Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Pink hues of filtered sunlight were created by the long sight-line through the hazy atmosphere.
But the remarkable layers correspond to low atmospheric layers of sharply different temperature and density also along the line of sight. Over a long path through each layer the rays of sunlight are refracted strongly and create different images or mirages of sections of the setting Sun.
Image & info via APOD
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Image Credit & Copyright: Yuri Beletsky (Carnegie Las Campanas Observatory, TWAN)
#nasa #naturalphenomena #sunset #space #universe
Such rare atmospheric conditions may sometimes reflect radar waves too, giving false targets, called 'angels'. They appear 3, 4 times then disappear then appear somewhere else and so on. Like in this beautiful photo, physically there is nothing there (just layers of air), yet the effects are marvelous.
ReplyDeleteInteresting...I thought that most “angel” echoes on radar were caused by birds. Besides, STC should automatically reduce the visibility of permanent echoes on the radar picture and increase the strength of those created by aircraft. Maybe is time to not rely on radars so much and simply invent something else.
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