Benjamin KnispelMay 12

Tree sex makes colored rings in the sky – Yesterday, I observed pollen coronas around the sun and the moon.

These colorful rings appear around the sun / the moon when airborne pollen diffracts the light (=deflects it depending on its color).

Different pollen types make different coronas. Here, it is likely pine pollen.

pic 1 at 14:08 CEST, f=200 mm, sun covered by street lamp.

pic 2 at 22:27 CEST, f=200 mm, moon overexposed

#AtmosphericOptics #Photography #Light #Diffraction #Physics

Show threadBenjamin Knispel

One additional image of the rising Moon with a pine pollen corona. It was quite easy to see with the unaided eye.

This was taken on May 12 at 22:26 CEST north of Hanover, Germany.

3.2 seconds exposed at f/6.3, ISO 640 and f=200 mm.

#AtmosphericOptics #Photography #Light #Diffraction #Physics #Pollen #Moon

May 15 at 5:14pmWeb
Show threadSimeon SchmaußMay 16
@benknispel That's fascinating, I had never heard of this effect before!
Very cool pictures too!
Show threadBenjamin KnispelMay 16
@stim3on Thanks! I've read about this years ago and had seen pictures by others (https://forum.meteoros.de/). And even though I've been paying attention to such phenomena for ~20 years, this was the first time I saw it with my own eyes. Looks very pretty in reality, too 🙂
AKM e.V. Forum - Foren-Übersicht

Show threadSimeon SchmaußMay 16
@benknispel cool that you finally caught it then, and something new to look out for me!
I had a similar (not quite as long) quest to catch red sprites which finally succeeded last summer.