| Topic: |
Science > Physics |
| User: |
"" |
| Date: |
01 Sep 2007 10:32:30 PM |
| Object: |
Strange Optical Effect |
Hi everybody,
A few days ago, I was standing on my porch enjoying the sun. I
noticed a parked car about 20m away. The sun was reflecting off the
windshield, and I noticed something rather unusual. I'm sure we're
all familiar with diagrams of the electric field caused by the
presence of two particles with the same charge. Strangely, if I
positioned myself just right, I could see that same pattern coming
"off" the reflected light. It's hard to explain what I mean.
Obviously, there was a very bright spot. But I could also see thin,
tendril-like arcs of light above and below the windshield (relative to
the windshield's orientation). And these arcs looked like electric/
magnetic field lines. Each arc was (by my subjective judgement) about
the same brightness. They were closest together "on" the windshield,
at the brightest spot. Is this description... comprehensible?
I was wearing sunglasses at the time, but they're prescription, and I
don't think they're polarized. I don't know if the windshield was,
but I doubt it. Can anyone explain what was going on? Simple terms
are okay. I can handle sophisticated mathematics, but I'm not a
physicist.
Thanks!
Alex
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| User: "Androcles" |
|
| Title: Re: Strange Optical Effect |
02 Sep 2007 11:29:24 AM |
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<poopdeville@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1188703950.604707.39240@r34g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
: Hi everybody,
:
: A few days ago, I was standing on my porch enjoying the sun. I
: noticed a parked car about 20m away. The sun was reflecting off the
: windshield, and I noticed something rather unusual. I'm sure we're
: all familiar with diagrams of the electric field caused by the
: presence of two particles with the same charge. Strangely, if I
: positioned myself just right, I could see that same pattern coming
: "off" the reflected light. It's hard to explain what I mean.
: Obviously, there was a very bright spot. But I could also see thin,
: tendril-like arcs of light above and below the windshield (relative to
: the windshield's orientation). And these arcs looked like electric/
: magnetic field lines. Each arc was (by my subjective judgement) about
: the same brightness. They were closest together "on" the windshield,
: at the brightest spot. Is this description... comprehensible?
:
: I was wearing sunglasses at the time, but they're prescription, and I
: don't think they're polarized. I don't know if the windshield was,
: but I doubt it. Can anyone explain what was going on? Simple terms
: are okay. I can handle sophisticated mathematics, but I'm not a
: physicist.
:
: Thanks!
: Alex
1) Modern windshields are curved to improve aerodynamics,
appearance and strength. The curvature explains why the
radial rays remind you of curved field lines.
2) The radial rays themselves sound like diffraction spikes.
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010415.html
The combination of the optics of your eye and your sunglasses
makes it difficult to analyse further, but I've seen diffraction spikes
when looking at a street light through a swimming pool bug screen
(which is a diffraction grating).
http://tinyurl.com/2s96je
.
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| User: "Dr. Planckenstein" |
|
| Title: Re: Strange Optical Effect |
02 Sep 2007 11:54:22 PM |
|
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"Androcles" <Engineer@hogwarts.physics> wrote in message
news:ExBCi.116484$p7.114263@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
<poopdeville@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1188703950.604707.39240@r34g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
: Hi everybody,
:
: A few days ago, I was standing on my porch enjoying the sun. I
: noticed a parked car about 20m away. The sun was reflecting off the
: windshield, and I noticed something rather unusual. I'm sure we're
: all familiar with diagrams of the electric field caused by the
: presence of two particles with the same charge. Strangely, if I
: positioned myself just right, I could see that same pattern coming
: "off" the reflected light. It's hard to explain what I mean.
: Obviously, there was a very bright spot. But I could also see thin,
: tendril-like arcs of light above and below the windshield (relative to
: the windshield's orientation). And these arcs looked like electric/
: magnetic field lines. Each arc was (by my subjective judgement) about
: the same brightness. They were closest together "on" the windshield,
: at the brightest spot. Is this description... comprehensible?
:
: I was wearing sunglasses at the time, but they're prescription, and I
: don't think they're polarized. I don't know if the windshield was,
: but I doubt it. Can anyone explain what was going on? Simple terms
: are okay. I can handle sophisticated mathematics, but I'm not a
: physicist.
:
: Thanks!
: Alex
You were abducted by an alien craft. Go get an NMR to check for implants.
.
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| User: "Androcles" |
|
| Title: Re: Strange Optical Effect |
03 Sep 2007 05:55:31 AM |
|
|
"Dr. Planckenstein" <plankensteinC@stle.sci> wrote in message
news:DrmdnfoKfZtYDkbbnZ2dnUVZ_hudnZ2d@comcast.com...
:
: "Androcles" <Engineer@hogwarts.physics> wrote in message
: news:ExBCi.116484$p7.114263@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
: >
: > <poopdeville@gmail.com> wrote in message
: > news:1188703950.604707.39240@r34g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
: > : Hi everybody,
: > :
: > : A few days ago, I was standing on my porch enjoying the sun. I
: > : noticed a parked car about 20m away. The sun was reflecting off the
: > : windshield, and I noticed something rather unusual. I'm sure we're
: > : all familiar with diagrams of the electric field caused by the
: > : presence of two particles with the same charge. Strangely, if I
: > : positioned myself just right, I could see that same pattern coming
: > : "off" the reflected light. It's hard to explain what I mean.
: > : Obviously, there was a very bright spot. But I could also see thin,
: > : tendril-like arcs of light above and below the windshield (relative to
: > : the windshield's orientation). And these arcs looked like electric/
: > : magnetic field lines. Each arc was (by my subjective judgement) about
: > : the same brightness. They were closest together "on" the windshield,
: > : at the brightest spot. Is this description... comprehensible?
: > :
: > : I was wearing sunglasses at the time, but they're prescription, and I
: > : don't think they're polarized. I don't know if the windshield was,
: > : but I doubt it. Can anyone explain what was going on? Simple terms
: > : are okay. I can handle sophisticated mathematics, but I'm not a
: > : physicist.
: > :
: > : Thanks!
: > : Alex
:
:
: You were abducted by an alien craft. Go get an NMR to check for implants.
So really are just another nym-shifting fuckhead. I had wondered
when I saw you say something sensible once. It must have been
an aberration.
*plonk*
.
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| User: "Dr. Planckenstein" |
|
| Title: Re: Strange Optical Effect |
03 Sep 2007 09:29:52 AM |
|
|
"Androcles" <Engineer@hogwarts.physics> wrote in message
news:DKRCi.49712$g.6108@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
"Dr. Planckenstein" <plankensteinC@stle.sci> wrote in message
news:DrmdnfoKfZtYDkbbnZ2dnUVZ_hudnZ2d@comcast.com...
:
: "Androcles" <Engineer@hogwarts.physics> wrote in message
: news:ExBCi.116484$p7.114263@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
: >
: > <poopdeville@gmail.com> wrote in message
: > news:1188703950.604707.39240@r34g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
: > : Hi everybody,
: > :
: > : A few days ago, I was standing on my porch enjoying the sun. I
: > : noticed a parked car about 20m away. The sun was reflecting off the
: > : windshield, and I noticed something rather unusual. I'm sure we're
: > : all familiar with diagrams of the electric field caused by the
: > : presence of two particles with the same charge. Strangely, if I
: > : positioned myself just right, I could see that same pattern coming
: > : "off" the reflected light. It's hard to explain what I mean.
: > : Obviously, there was a very bright spot. But I could also see thin,
: > : tendril-like arcs of light above and below the windshield (relative
to
: > : the windshield's orientation). And these arcs looked like electric/
: > : magnetic field lines. Each arc was (by my subjective judgement)
about
: > : the same brightness. They were closest together "on" the
windshield,
: > : at the brightest spot. Is this description... comprehensible?
: > :
: > : I was wearing sunglasses at the time, but they're prescription, and
I
: > : don't think they're polarized. I don't know if the windshield was,
: > : but I doubt it. Can anyone explain what was going on? Simple terms
: > : are okay. I can handle sophisticated mathematics, but I'm not a
: > : physicist.
: > :
: > : Thanks!
: > : Alex
:
:
: You were abducted by an alien craft. Go get an NMR to check for
implants.
So really are just another nym-shifting fuckhead. I had wondered
when I saw you say something sensible once. It must have been
an aberration.
*plonk*
I probably am as you say, but the BioFreak is someone else. I would not
select an alias pretending to be an Iranian who plays with biological
things - unless of course I wanted to be arrested. And I would'nt really
want to be arrested unless I was in Sweden or maybe Canada. And I doubt that
I'll be in Sweden anytime soon, and I'm not too far from Canada, but they
probably would'nt let me in.
Anyhow, our biological sciences are so advanced that if it came down to a
bio-war the West would certainly win it. I have serious doubts that Islam
would even survive after such a war. I suppose that mankind is probably
stupid enough to be capable of such a colossal blunder, but lets hope that
things dont ever come to that.
Mankind has always had this choice. To use technology for good or for evil.
For peace or for war. The reason the West has been so successful is because
we have used technology for peaceful purposes and that is the reason why it
grows exponentially for us. If one uses it for evil it will vanish even more
quickly than it grew.
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| User: "BioFreak" |
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| Title: Re: Strange Optical Effect |
02 Sep 2007 10:17:58 AM |
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On Sat, 01 Sep 2007 20:32:30 -0700,
poopdeville@gmail.com wrote:
A few days ago, I was standing on my porch enjoying the sun. I
Get a life.
--
"sare ghabri geryeh kon ke mordeh tush bAsheh."
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