What could cause this light effect?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the cause of a light effect observed in a photograph, with participants exploring various explanations related to atmospheric phenomena, reflections, and potential artifacts. The scope includes conceptual reasoning and observational analysis.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that the light effect could be a sun dog, referencing images and examples to support this hypothesis.
  • Others argue against the sun dog explanation, suggesting that the light may originate from a brightly lit location, such as a shopping mall or athletic field, located behind a ridge.
  • A participant questions the brightness of a potential shopping mall compared to the sun, suggesting that the sun might actually be obscured by a building.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the sun dog theory, noting that the observed light does not resemble typical sun dogs found in image searches.
  • One participant raises the possibility that the light could be an artifact created by the camera, depending on whether the photo was taken directly or through a window.
  • Another participant inquires about the conditions under which the photo was taken, including time, date, and geographical location, to better understand the context of the light effect.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the cause of the light effect. Multiple competing views remain, with some supporting the sun dog theory and others proposing alternative explanations.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include uncertainty about the original conditions of the photograph, the visibility of the light effect to the naked eye, and the potential influence of reflections or camera artifacts.

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302041ac-3870-4b28-9e6f-462bf7223f8d_zpsbcc8ead3.jpg


Not sure if it is the right forum, but anyways,

In this image, the sun is to the left. What causes the glow at the middle?
 
Earth sciences news on Phys.org
is that 22° ?
 
A sun dog brighter than the sun itself?

I think it far more likely that behind that ridge you will find a brightly lit shopping mall, athletic field, airfield, or some similar source of light.
 
A shopping mall brighter than the sun itself? I think it is far more likely that the sun is behind the building, and the visible light to the left is the sun dog.
 
cjl said:
A shopping mall brighter than the sun itself? I think it is far more likely that the sun is behind the building, and the visible light to the left is the sun dog.

that was my conclusion as well

Dave
 
cjl said:
A shopping mall brighter than the sun itself? I think it is far more likely that the sun is behind the building, and the visible light to the left is the sun dog.

Excellent point. I believe you've nailed it. I was misled by the OP"s assertion that the Sun was the light on the left.
 
I'm not convinced it is a sun dog. do a google image search and none look like this. I don't have another explanation though. You would think the centre light to be the Sun though.
 
unfortunately the OP'er hasnt returned

What I would like to know is ...

1) Did he/she take the photo or was it found somewhere ?
2) If they actually took the photo, was it visible to the eye or was it only seen in the photo?
that would determine if it was an artifact created in-camera ?

Dave
 
  • #10
Chrispen Evan said:
I'm not convinced it is a sun dog. do a google image search and none look like this. I don't have another explanation though. You would think the centre light to be the Sun though.

it does look too sharp and defined for a sundog !

ohh my other thought following from my previous post

Question 3...

if the OP'er took the pic, was it taken through a window ?
if so, there may have been a window on another building out of camera shot, that was reflecting and projecting the sun image onto the window through which the photo was taken ?

attachment.php?attachmentid=64971&stc=1&d=1387583937.gif


maybe not valid ... just thinking outside of the box :wink:

cheers
Dave
 

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  • #11
Thanks for the replies so far.

I'm pretty sure the light on the left is the sun. It's been very cloudy these days so I can't get a picture.

Perhaps the glow is simply a break in the clouds?
 
  • #12
what were the time and date?

what were the latitude and longitude?

what were the angles of the two objects from south? (and in particular, is the angle between them 22 degrees?)
 

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