by neufer » Wed Feb 25, 2009 4:43 pm
Chris Peterson wrote:
I disagree. I think the falling raindrops are quite well lit, they simply look dark because the foreground is so much brighter, and because they are uniformly lit. I think that if those raindrops were actually in the shadow of a cloud, but with a single sunbeam illuminating a small area, you'd see that lit area as apparently bright (but white in that case, since the Sun isn't setting).
Judging from the rainbows, the falling raindrops ARE quite well lit, they simply look dark because they ARE dark.
Chris Peterson wrote:neufer wrote:People here have MISTAKENLY reported what they THINK they see.
Show me ONE IMAGE of "orange rain" that you can certify is actually FALLING RAIN.
Clearly that's not going to be possible.
Clearly.
Chris Peterson wrote: I trust my own interpretation of what I've seen with my eyes, and I believe that the links to orange rain posted by geckzilla on page 6 of this discussion show exactly the same thing as the airplane window image, and I don't see any reason to think they aren't showing what they claim: rain lit by a setting Sun. In addition, the NOAA and Wikipedia pages on virga both mention that one of its features is the ability to catch the setting Sun and produce brilliant orange displays.
The virga in question probably catches the setting sun because it is composed of ice crystals which are high enough to do so.
Chris Peterson wrote: In the images of sunlit virga, and where I've seen the effect, the sun, virga, and observer have been nearly lined up, and that describes the situation with the airplane shot as well. So overall, I consider the question settled. If you have a different opinion, that's fine. Since the situation can't be recreated, nobody can ever know with 100% certainty what the image shows.
I'm nearly 100% certain that no so called image of "
bright orange rain" is ever an image of actual falling raindrops.
There is absolutely no physics to justify such an assumption.
I enjoy
The Asterisk* because I learn so much from others (especially from Chris) and because the absolute best way to learn is to attempt to teach what one thinks one knows...
especially when one gets it wrong (as I have many times). I don't trust my own (nor anyone else's interpretations) without careful consideration (and reconsideration) and that is what makes me a good scientist...I think.
[quote="Chris Peterson"][quote="neufer"]The falling raindrops are [b]ALL VERY dark[/b] (except for the embedded rainbow).
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070912.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060702.html[/quote]
I disagree. I think the falling raindrops are quite well lit, they simply look dark because the foreground is so much brighter, and because they are uniformly lit. I think that if those raindrops were actually in the shadow of a cloud, but with a single sunbeam illuminating a small area, you'd see that lit area as apparently bright (but white in that case, since the Sun isn't setting).[/quote]
Judging from the rainbows, the falling raindrops ARE quite well lit, they simply look dark because they ARE dark.
[quote="Chris Peterson"][quote="neufer"]People here have [b]MISTAKENLY[/b] reported what they [b]THINK[/b] they see.
Show me [b]ONE IMAGE[/b] of "[color=#FF8000][b]orange rain[/b][/color]" that you can [b]certify[/b] is actually [b]FALLING RAIN.[/b][/quote]Clearly that's not going to be possible.[/quote]Clearly.
[quote="Chris Peterson"] I trust my own interpretation of what I've seen with my eyes, and I believe that the links to orange rain posted by geckzilla on page 6 of this discussion show exactly the same thing as the airplane window image, and I don't see any reason to think they aren't showing what they claim: rain lit by a setting Sun. In addition, the NOAA and Wikipedia pages on virga both mention that one of its features is the ability to catch the setting Sun and produce brilliant orange displays.[/quote]
The virga in question probably catches the setting sun because it is composed of ice crystals which are high enough to do so.
[quote="Chris Peterson"] In the images of sunlit virga, and where I've seen the effect, the sun, virga, and observer have been nearly lined up, and that describes the situation with the airplane shot as well. So overall, I consider the question settled. If you have a different opinion, that's fine. Since the situation can't be recreated, nobody can ever know with 100% certainty what the image shows.[/quote]
I'm nearly 100% certain that no so called image of "[b][color=#FF8000]bright orange rain[/color][/b]" is ever an image of actual falling raindrops.
There is absolutely no physics to justify such an assumption.
I enjoy [b]The Asterisk*[/b] because I learn so much from others (especially from Chris) and because the absolute best way to learn is to attempt to teach what one thinks one knows...[b]especially when one gets it wrong[/b] (as I have many times). I don't trust my own (nor anyone else's interpretations) without careful consideration (and reconsideration) and that is what makes me a good scientist...I think.