Abstract

It may be trite to say that seeing is believing, but this is nowhere more true than in meteorological optics. Yet optical phenomena of the atmosphere are sometimes rare, and even if common they are usually ephemeral. Unlike laboratory experiments they cannot be arranged to occur at the convenience of the observer. They neither can be reproduced at will nor controlled so that their workings are more readily discernible. For these reasons demonstrations of meteorological optical phenomena are highly desirable, particularly for classroom use or as accompaniments to popular lectures. In the following paragraphs five such demonstrations are briefly described. The common thread linking them is that they require no more than a few items found in any home or school. Except for the projectors, it would be difficult to spend more than a few dollars on all of them taken together.

© 1983 Optical Society of America