AUREOLE

brightly illuminated area surrounding an atmospheric light source, such as the Sun, when the light is propagated through a medium containing many sizes of particles or droplets that are large compared to the wavelength of the light. Because the wavelength of visible light is about 0.00005 cm (0.5 micrometre), particles of size greater than about 0.0001 cm (1 micrometre) will give rise to aureoles. Physically, aureoles are caused by the diffraction of large amounts of the incident light around the edges of the particles in directions deviating only slightly from that of the light source. In the atmosphere, aureoles may frequently be observed when a thin cloud passes between the Sun or Moon and the observer. If the cloud is composed of a wide range of droplet sizes, then the aureole will be observed. It is generally white in colour, but a brownish outer ring and bluish inner edge may sometimes be observed. Dense atmospheric haze also produces an easily observable solar aureole, apparent as a very bright region immediately surrounding the Sun, with a gradual tapering off of brightness with an increasing angle from the Sun.