Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Sylvanshine
Sylvanshine is an optical phenomenon in which dew-covered trees of species whose leaves are wax-covered retroreflects beams of light, as from a vehicle's headlights, sometimes causing trees to appear to be snow-covered at night during the summer. The phenomenon was named and explained in 1994 by Professor Alistair Fraser of Pennsylvania State University, an expert in meteorological optics. According to his explanation, the wax on the leaves causes water to form beads, which become, in effect, lenses.
Reference
- Alistair B. Fraser. The Sylvanshine: retroreflection in dew-covered trees. Applied Optics., 33, 21, 4539-4547. 1994
10-26-2009 08:16:03
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The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details