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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. One common example is the rainbow, when light from the Sun is reflected and refracted by water droplets. Some phenomena, such as the green ray, are so rare they are sometimes thought to be mythical.^[2] Others, such as Fata Morganas, are commonplace in favored locations.

Other phenomena are simply interesting aspects of optics, or optical effects. For instance, the colors generated by a prism are often shown in classrooms.

A solar halo as seen from 41° south latitude

Scope

Optical phenomena include those arising from the optical properties of the atmosphere; the rest of nature (other phenomena); of objects, whether natural or human-made (optical effects); and of our eyes (Entoptic phenomena). Also listed here are unexplained phenomena that could have an optical explanation and "optical illusions" for which optical explanations have been excluded.

There are many phenomena that result from either the particle or the wave nature of light. Some are quite subtle and observable only by precise measurement using scientific instruments. One famous observation is of the bending of light from a star by the Sun observed during a solar eclipse. This demonstrates that space is curved, as the theory of relativity predicts.

Atmospheric optics

A circumzenithal arc over Grand Forks, North Dakota

Atmospheric optical phenomena include:

Afterglow
Airglow
Alexander's band, the dark region between the two bows of a double rainbow.
Alpenglow
Anthelion
Anticrepuscular rays
Aurora (northern and southern lights, aurora borealis and aurora australis)
Belt of Venus
Brocken Spectre
Circumhorizontal arc
Circumzenithal arc
Cloud iridescence
Crepuscular rays
Earth's shadow
Earthquake lights
Glories
Green flash
Halos, of Sun or Moon, including sun dogs
Haze
Heiligenschein or halo effect, partly caused by the opposition effect
Ice blink
Light pillar
Lightning
Mirages (including Fata Morgana)
Monochrome Rainbow
Moon dog
Moonbow
Nacreous cloud/Polar stratospheric cloud
Rainbow
Sprite (lightning)
Subsun
Sun dog
Tangent arc
Tyndall effect
Upper-atmospheric lightning, including red sprites, Blue jets, and ELVES
Water sky

A double rainbow at Minsi Lake, Pennsylvania

A sun pillar in Finistère, Brittany

Atmospheric optical phenomenon

Non-atmospheric optical phenomena

Other optical effects

Asterism, star gems such as star sapphire or star ruby
Aura, a phenomenon in which gas or dust surrounding an object luminesces or reflects light from the object
Aventurescence, also called the Schiller effect, spangled gems such as aventurine quartz and sunstone
Baily's beads, grains of sunlight visible in total solar eclipses.
camera obscura
Cathodoluminescence
Caustics
Chatoyancy, cat's eye gems such as chrysoberyl cat's eye or aquamarine cat's eye
Chromatic polarization
Diffraction, the apparent bending and spreading of light waves when they meet an obstruction
Dispersion
Double refraction or birefringence of calcite and other minerals
Double-slit experiment
Electroluminescence
Evanescent wave
Fluorescence, also called luminescence or photoluminescence
Mie scattering (Why clouds are white)
Metamerism as of alexandrite
Moiré pattern
Newton's rings
Phosphorescence
Pleochroism gems or crystals, which seem "many-colored"
Rayleigh scattering (Why the sky is blue, sunsets are red, and associated phenomena)
Reflection
Refraction
Sonoluminescence
- Shrimpoluminescence
Synchrotron radiation
The separation of light into colors by a prism
Triboluminescence
Thomson scattering
Total internal reflection
Twisted light
Umov effect
Zeeman effect
The ability of light to travel through space or through a vacuum.

Entoptic phenomena

Diffraction of light through the eyelashes
Haidinger's brush
Monocular diplopia (or polyplopia) from reflections at boundaries between the various ocular media
Phosphenes from stimulation other than by light (e.g., mechanical, electrical) of the rod cells and cones of the eye or of other neurons of the visual system
Purkinje images.

Optical illusions

The unusually large size of the Moon as it rises and sets, the Moon illusion
The shape of the sky, the sky bowl

Unexplained phenomena

Some phenomena are yet to be conclusively explained and may possibly be some form of optical phenomena. Some^{[weasel words]} consider many of these "mysteries" to simply be local tourist attractions that are not worthy of thorough investigation.^[4]

References

^ Lahiri, Avijit (2016). "Electromagnetic Theory and Optics". Basic Optics: Principles and Concepts. Elsevier. pp. 1–140. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-805357-7.00001-0. ISBN 978-0-12-805357-7.
^ "Green Rays". mintaka.sdsu.edu.
^ "Belt of Venus over Cerro Paranal". Picture of the Week. ESO. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
^ "Welcome to Phenomenon! Your guide through the mysterious and unexplained". www.stateoftheart.nl.
^ Philip Mantle. "The Hessdalen Lights". Archived from the original on 4 April 2005. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
^ "UQ scientist unlocks secret of Min Min lights".
^ "Big Thicket National Preserve Virtual Field Trip". Archived from the original on 4 March 2005.
^ Gagliardi, Jason (17 November 2002). "Behind the Secret of the Naga's Fire". Archived from the original on January 19, 2007 – via www.time.com.

Source

Ozerov, Ruslan P.; Vorobyev, Anatoli A. (2007). "Wave Optics and Quantum–Optical Phenomena". Physics for Chemists. pp. 361–422. doi:10.1016/B978-044452830-8/50008-8. ISBN 978-0-444-52830-8.