Here a practical link for optical calculations like Brewster angle
https://refractiveindex.info/?shelf=main&book=Ni&page=Johnson
J.W.
Thanks for the feedback.
I had not heard of Brewster's angle.
I will need time to consider these suggestions.
Harry
On Fri, Aug 11, 2023 at 3:11 PM MSF <foster...@protonmail.com> wrote:
We call them "colors" down here south of the border, Harry. But to
your question, yes I have experienced the same phenomenon. Keep in
mind that peripheral vision is more light sensitive than foveal
vision.
I can think of two possibilities to explain the phenomenon. Light
from the clear sky is partially polarized along a north to south
axis. So if you are walking in a mostly north or south direction
you would see these colors to your left or right as the angle to
the area you are observing is around Brewster's angle. They would
be secondary colors.
Alternatively, it might just be a very thin oil slick formed from
the asphalt and you need the more sensitive peripheral vision to
perceive it.
More than you wanted to know, probably.
------- Original Message -------
On Wednesday, August 9th, 2023 at 7:36 PM, H L V
<hveeder...@gmail.com> wrote:
This summer I have been walking to work in the morning during
twilight just before the sun rises.
As I walk across asphalt paved streets which are old and
cracking, sometimes I see very faint bands of colour
in my peripheral vision when I am looking at the pavement. When
it happens I am walking roughly southward ( at 46 degrees north
latitude) and the bands seem to appear on the left side of my
peripheral vision. The colours remind more of those found in the
Goethe spectrum rather than the rainbow spectrum. I wondered if
it might be an effect of LED street lighting reflecting off the
pavement but sometimes it seems to arise far from any LED street
lights. Has anyone else experienced this?
Harry
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