Thanks for the feedback. I had not heard of Brewster's angle. I will need time to consider these suggestions.
Harry On Fri, Aug 11, 2023 at 3:11 PM MSF <foster...@protonmail.com> wrote: > We call them "colors" down here south of the border, Harry. But to your > question, yes I have experienced the same phenomenon. Keep in mind that > peripheral vision is more light sensitive than foveal vision. > > I can think of two possibilities to explain the phenomenon. Light from the > clear sky is partially polarized along a north to south axis. So if you are > walking in a mostly north or south direction you would see these colors to > your left or right as the angle to the area you are observing is around > Brewster's angle. They would be secondary colors. > > Alternatively, it might just be a very thin oil slick formed from the > asphalt and you need the more sensitive peripheral vision to perceive it. > > More than you wanted to know, probably. > > ------- Original Message ------- > On Wednesday, August 9th, 2023 at 7:36 PM, H L V <hveeder...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > This summer I have been walking to work in the morning during twilight > just before the sun rises. > As I walk across asphalt paved streets which are old and cracking, > sometimes I see very faint bands of colour > in my peripheral vision when I am looking at the pavement. When it happens > I am walking roughly southward ( at 46 degrees north latitude) and the > bands seem to appear on the left side of my peripheral vision. The colours > remind more of those found in the Goethe spectrum rather than the rainbow > spectrum. I wondered if it might be an effect of LED street lighting > reflecting off the pavement but sometimes it seems to arise far from any > LED street lights. Has anyone else experienced this? > > Harry > > > > >
