Abstract

Most of the phenomena of meteorological optics have been known for centuries, many of them since antiquity. While understanding of these phenomena has increased markedly in the last century or so, during that time the discovery of new phenomena has largely taken the form of making distinctions within an already known phenomenon. Thus, a subclass of the Fata Morgana is relabeled as the Fata Bromosa, or the Parry arcs are split into suncave and sunvex groups. Indeed, as the hallmark of meteorological optics is naked-eye observations, there is no good reason to suspect that after millennia of weather watching there would be anything other than nuances remaining to be discovered.

© 1990 Optical Society of America