What Causes the Color Shifts and Spherical Aberration in Eyeglasses?

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The discussion centers on the color shifts observed in eyeglasses, particularly the appearance of blue and red edges when viewing objects at an angle. This phenomenon is attributed to chromatic aberration, where different wavelengths of light are refracted differently, leading to color separation. Participants clarify that while Doppler shifts affect the entire light spectrum, the observed color changes are specific to the edges of objects due to the nature of light refraction. Additionally, spherical aberration is explained as the result of spherical lenses failing to focus light to a single point, causing a slight fuzziness in the image. Overall, the conversation highlights a blend of optical principles and personal discovery regarding visual perception through lenses.
vin300
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When I look through my glasses at an inclination to the normal to the plane of the eye I see one vertical edge of a stationary object or at least an edge with a vertical length component to be blue and the other red.
It is like when the angle is measured anticlockwise the near edge of the object appears blue and the far red; it is the other way for clockwise measurements.
The bluening and reddening also intensify with increase in the inclination. Which is the phenomenon in picture?
 
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It sounds like you are seeing a refraction effect similar to that of a prism.
 
mathman said:
It sounds like you are seeing a refraction effect similar to that of a prism.
Why only blue and red edges like doppler shifts then?
 
vin300 said:
Why only blue and red edges like doppler shifts then?


My guess: the intermediate colors got mixed so it looks white.
 
vin300 said:
Why only blue and red edges like doppler shifts then?

Doppler shifts don't make things only red or blue. They shift the entire spectrum upward ("blue") or downward ("red").
 
mathman said:
My guess: the intermediate colors got mixed so it looks white.
The intermediate color is green. It does not mix up with itself to get white.
Well, white light is refracted in a prism, you mean every ray of white light I see must be refracted to give constituent colors; but only the vertical edges change color when I make a "no" twist and the horizontal when a "yes" move (of the neck) so the object makes an inclination.
 
Ok I know nobody of you have an answer to this.
It has been a mystery for the past year.
Is it time to claim that I've discovered it?
 
vin300 said:
Ok I know nobody of you have an answer to this.
It has been a mystery for the past year.
Is it time to claim that I've discovered it?
This is not a mystery. You have "discovered" chromatic aberration - something that has been well-understood for a very long time.
 
turbo-1 said:
This is not a mystery. You have "discovered" chromatic aberration - something that has been well-understood for a very long time.
Right, I found it. It was deleted from the syllabus!
At least now I know what it is.
And what is spherical aberration?
I must say I have a satisfaction I never had
 
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And what is spherical aberration?
When rays (parallel from a distant object) hit a lens or a mirror getting the rays to focus at one point requires a parabolic shape. For practical purposes, the mirror or lens has a spherical shape, so that the focus is slightly fuzzy. This is called spherical aberration.
 
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