Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 12, 2026

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
Published on: July 1, 2019
A note on the radiance distributions of halos due to scattering by randomly orientated crystals
Abstract:
The radiance distribution of light scattered by randomly oriented ice crystals differs fundamentally from the radiance distribution of light scattered by spherical raindrops or by preferentially oriented ice crystals. A formalism for light scattering by randomly oriented crystals is given and applied to four examples, among them the circular 22° halo and the antisolar halospot, the latter being the glory analogue for ice crystals. A long-standing misconception about the nature of the radiance distribution of circular halos is quantified and discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Determination of Crystal Structures
X-ray Crystallography
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Raman Spectroscopy: Overview
However, a small fraction of the scattered light exhibits a frequency shift due to the exchange of energy between the incident photons and...
X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal...

