The Brocken spectrum is a 3D shadow figure that appears in distant fog or mist when a low-lying sun casts a long shadow. It is often accompanied by a rainbow halo known as glory. The phenomenon is named after a mountain peak in Germany and was first described in 1780. CTR Wilson tried to artificially create the glory effect and built the cloud chamber. The planes create Brocken spectra on the clouds below, called Pilot’s Glory, and in ancient China, it was called “Buddha light.”
The Brocken spectrum is a fascinating optical phenomenon that occurs when a low-lying sun casts a very long shadow in distant fog or mist. The effect creates a large shadow figure, which appears three-dimensional due to the depth to which the shadow sinks into the fog. The spectrum is also often accompanied by a difficult-to-explain optical effect known as glory, a rainbow halo that appears when light is refracted by uniformly sized water droplets.
The Brocken Specter is named after a mountain peak called The Brocken, part of the Harz Mountains in Germany. The rolling hills and frequent fog in this area make the phenomenon easily observable when conditions are favourable. The phenomenon was first described by Johann Silberschlag in 1780, but has probably been observed by confused humans since prehistoric times. It is unexplainable phenomena like this that may have originally caused people to think that the workings of the world were orchestrated by divine forces.
CTR Wilson, a Scottish physicist responsible for inventing the cloud chamber, which is used to observe particles of ionizing radiation, built the device when he was trying to artificially create the glory effect that accompanies the Brocken spectrum. Glory remains relatively difficult to produce under laboratory conditions to this day.
Under the right conditions, the planes create Brocken spectra on the clouds below. These are called Pilot’s Glory and helped inspire fighter planes during WWII. In ancient China, the phenomenon was called “Buddha light” and observations were recorded as early as AD 63. When pilgrims or monks saw their heads surrounded by the glories of the Brocken Specter in the distance, they thought it meant they were enlighten yourself. Some fascinating videos of Brocken’s specter and glories are available online if you look around.
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