2021-11-24

Winter Sun

#physics

Image of the Winter Sun (4MB)

Today, outside the kitchen window.

Winter is at the door step. There were reports of snow yesterday from a little higher up the mountains. This morning, while the temperatur was climbing out of -3°C a thick layer of fog was flowing across the land. For several moments it offered a view to Sol, dim enough to not even blink my eyes.

This is one of the simpler examples of "Every Day Physics". The light of the sun is attenuated by the fog several orders of magnitude, to make the sight pleasant. If present, large sun spots can be seen in such a moment as well. The same attenuation of sunlight happens, when the sun is just visible above the horizon, as several images on APOD demonstrate.

apod: sunspots at sunset

apod: sunspots at sunset

Of course, suitable technology may provide really spectacular views:

apod: impressive sunspots during an eclipse

Keep watching!

~ew

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