Reflection of Circumzenithal Arc
February 09, 2004
Provided and copyright by: Laurent Laveder, Optics of the Atmosphere Gallery
Summary authors & editors: Laurent Laveder
The circumzenithal arc pictured above was so brilliant that it was quite obvious even when reflected in the windscreen of my car. This photo was taken in Brittany, France on December 6, 2003 (15:00 or 3:00 p.m. local time), and the Sun was about 15 degrees above the horizon at the time the photo was snapped. Circumzenithal arcs form when sunlight passes through the uppermost basal faces of oriented hexagonal plate crystals and then exits through the vertical side faces.
Photo details: Kodak DC3400 digital camera, 76 mm focal length.
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