Preface; 1. Shadows; 2. Clear air; 3. Water; 4. Water drops; 5. Ice and halos; 6. Naked eye astronomy; 7. Observing; 8. Exotic clouds; Glossary; Index.
A complete, well-illustrated, and authoritative guide to seeing, photographing and understanding nature's optical delights.
David Lynch is an astronomer and atmospheric physicist, specializing in infrared studies of star-formation regions, comets, supernovae and cirrus clouds. After receiving his PhD in astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin, he was a Visiting Associate in Physics at the California Institute of Technology and an Assistant Astronomer at the University of California at Berkeley. He has worked at the Hughes Research Laboratories and the Aerospace Corporation, and operates Thule Scientific, a private research institute. He has organised and chaired many meetings on atmospheric science and been Principal Investigator on a variety of NASA, NOAA, NSF and DoD programs. Bill Livingston has been an astronomer at the Kitt Peak Observatory in southern Arizona for his entire professional life (since Jan 1959). Originally he helped design and build instruments and telescopes. Later he became a solar observer and has spent a great deal of time on Kitt Peak, a fact which accounts for many of the pictures in this book. He participated in many solar eclipse expeditions which took him to Alaska, the South Pacific, Africa, Indonesia, India, and recently Turkey. He has traveled widely in Russia and China, but he hastens to add that his best sightings of atmospheric phenomena were from his backyard in Tucson.
'Most people notice only the occasional rainbow and pretty sunset,
yet they could see much more if they only knew what to look for.
Color and Light in Nature will facilitate this admirably ... the
up-to-date research, new ideas, beautiful pictures, and excellent
explanations make Color and Light in Nature the new classic.'
Science
'... a beautifully illustrated popular account of atmospheric
phenomena ... Many teachers as well as a good many naturalists will
find the book to be a highly useful and comprehensive treatment of
a beautiful subject, one that can be used to enliven dry classroom
discussions of optics, light and colour.' Nature
'Lynch and Livingston deserve the thanks of the scientific
community for re-opening our eyes to the wonderful world around
us.' American Scientist
'A breathtaking list of effects is explained ... along with how
they got there. It just made me want to rush out and look at the
things.' New Scientist
'If you ever wanted to know why the sky is blue, or what clouds are
made of, or how rainbows are formed, then this is the book for
you.' Brendan K. Ward, Astronomy & Space
"This magnificent collection of photographs of every imaginable
optical phenomenon in the atmosphere deserves to be widely
distributed..." Meteorological and Atmospheric Physics
"[Lynch and Livingston] take the reader through hundreds of light
and colour phenomena visible in the sky overhead, ranging from the
straightforward to the exotic. Each account is succinct and lucid,
illustrated by both diagrams and photographs, some stunning in
their beauty....The balance of description and physical explanation
is excellent. Many teachers as well as a good many naturalists will
find the book to be a highly useful and comprehensive treatment of
a beautiful subject, one that can be used to enliven dry classroom
discussions of optics, light and colour." Nature
"...a remarkable exposition of the many optical phenomena that
delight and intrigue the eye of an observant person....delightful
volume....It will certainly appeal to all readers interested in
understanding color and light in nature." Choice
"...impressive book....Lynch and Livingston deserve the thanks of
the scientific community for re-opening our eyes to the wonderful
world around us." American Scientist
"Those who may be inspired for the first time to become careful
observers of color and light in nature will enjoy reading about the
green flash, supernumerary rainbows, mirages, the moon illusion,
Haidinger's brush, earthshine, and many other topics presented in
this book." American Journal of Physics
"...the up-to-date research, new ideas, beautiful pictures, and
excellent explanations make Color and Light in Nature the new
classic." Science
"This book is about seeing the world with the naked eye... From
mirages to white water to comet showers, it is all here.... This is
the kind of book that makes you pay a lot more attention to your
surroundings as you walk." E-Streams
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