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Mt. Wendelstein, Bavarian Alps, Germany

Latitude: 47° 42' 10'' N

Longitude: 12° 0' 44'' E

12 August 2012 1800 (Local Time)

Image P/S code: P.13.4

Image I.D.: 4126

Glory and Brocken spectre
The glory is a sequence of one or more coloured rings seen around the observer's own shadow on a cloud consisting of small water droplets or on fog. It occurs as a result of the refraction, reflection and diffraction of sunlight within the small drops.

The phenomenon only occurs directly opposite the Sun, centred on the antisolar point. It is therefore normally below the horizon, and is typically observed when looking down from an elevated location onto low cloud, such as in this photograph from Mt. Wendelstein (1838 m) in the Bavarian Alps, Germany.

When the low clouds or fog are near the observer, the observer's shadow appears very large and distorted by perspective. This is called the Brocken spectre.
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© Claudia Hinz
Mt. Wendelstein, Bavarian Alps, Germany
Latitude: 47° 42' 10'' N
Longitude: 12° 0' 44'' E
12 August 2012 1800 (Local Time)

Image P/S code: P.13.4
Image I.D.: 4126
Glory, Brocken spectre and fog bow
A glory, a Brocken spectre and a fog bow together with supernumerary bows are seen in this photograph taken from Mt. Zugspitze, Bavarian Alps, Germany on the German-Austrian border.

Cloud envelopes the summit at an altitude of 2962 m, but it is thin enough for the sun to cast the observer's shadow onto the cloud. The large shadow, distorted by perspective, is known as the Brocken spectre.

Around the observer's shadow, and centred on the point directly opposite the sun - the antisolar point - is the sequence of coloured rings known as the glory. The coloured rings are due to the refraction, reflection and diffraction of light by small water droplets in the cloud. The arrangement of colours is similar to that in a corona.

Outside of the glory is a fog bow together with supernumerary bows. The fog bow is also sometimes known as a cloudbow, mistbow or white rainbow. It is a primary rainbow but it typically appears as a white band, lacking the spectrum of colours since it is formed by very small water droplets.
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© Claudia Hinz
Mt. Zugspitze, Bavarian Alps, Germany
Latitude: 47° 25' 16'' N
Longitude: 10° 59' 11'' E
15 November 2014 1430 (Local Time)

Camera direction: towards NE
Image P/S code: P.13.0
Image I.D.: 4127
Fog bow, Glory and Brocken spectre
This photograph from San Francisco, California, USA shows a fog bow, glory and Brocken spectre in fog.

The fog bow consists of a white-coloured bow seen on mist or fog. It is a primary bow caused by the refraction, reflection and (to a minor extent) diffraction of sunlight in the very small water droplets that make up the fog.

The glory is a sequence of coloured rings seen on the fog around the observer's own shadow, directly opposite the sun and centred on the antisolar point. The coloured rings are caused by the diffraction of light.

The observer's shadow, appearing large and distorted due to perspective, is called a Brocken spectre.
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© Mila Zinkova
San Francisco, California, United States of America
Latitude: 37° 48' 49'' N
Longitude: 122° 28' 41'' W
03 June 2016 2000 (Local Time)

Image P/S code: S.13.5.4
Image I.D.: 4632

Glory and Brocken spectre

Glory, Brocken spectre and fog bow

Fog bow, Glory and Brocken spectre