Across the world, there are naturally occurring optical illusions that captivate spectators. Cloud formations can sometimes make it seem like there's an ocean or a UFO in the sky. Whether it is salt ...

The science behind natural optical phenomena—colors in the sky, rainbows, halos, coronas, iridescence, glories, glitter patterns and auroras—will be the topic of a free talk at Rochester Institute of ...

Earth's passage through the plane of Saturn's rings, occurring roughly every 15 years, causes the rings to appear nearly edge-on. The next such event in March 2025 will be poorly observable due to ...

Optics is a branch of physics that involves the properties of light and its interaction with matter. Reflection, refraction and diffraction are different ways light can behave based on the conditions ...

These celestial wonders can tell us a lot about the state of the atmosphere at home on Earth as well as on other planets. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate ...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A optical illusion appeared off the First Coast this week, making it seem as though a ship was hovering above and out of the water. The phenomenon, known as a superior mirage, ...

A new study explores the behavior of photons, the elementary particles of light, as they encounter boundaries where material properties change rapidly over time. This research uncovers remarkable ...

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. SAN DIEGO — A parhelia hovered above the ...

Optical illusions occur naturally in different habitats and conditions across the world. Cloud formations can sometimes make it seem like there's an ocean or a UFO in the sky. Whether it is salt flats ...