Brocken Spectre in Scottish Highlands

December 29, 2004

Omc11

Provided by: David Harbottle
Summary authors & editors: David Harbottle; Jim Foster

This photo showing a faint Brocken Spectre was taken in the Scottish Highlands (northern Scotland) on November 7, 2004. The camera angle is looking steeply down into a valley from a summit where I'm positioned. A Brocken Spectre is a diffraction phenomenon and is similar in nature to the glory -- forms in fine water droplets and can only be observed at the antisolar point (opposite the Sun). In essence, the observer's shadow is cast onto a layer of mist.

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