Frameswhether

Frameswhether is a term used to describe the atmospheric conditions that are conducive to the formation of optical phenomena known as glories. Glories are colored, circular patterns of light that appear opposite to the sun, typically seen by an observer looking down from a high altitude, such as an airplane or a mountain. The specific meteorological conditions required for frameswhether are characterized by the presence of water droplets of a uniform size suspended in the air, such as in a cloud or mist, and the angle of the sun relative to the observer and the water droplets.

The formation of a glory involves the scattering of sunlight by spherical water droplets. When sunlight enters a water droplet, it refracts, reflects off the back of the droplet, and then refracts again as it exits. This process causes the light to disperse into its constituent colors due to the phenomenon of diffraction. The specific angles at which these colors emerge from the droplet are dependent on the wavelength of light and the droplet's diameter.

Frameswhether conditions are therefore crucial for observing glories. The uniformity in droplet size ensures that the diffraction patterns align consistently, leading to a clear and distinct circular halo of colors. If the droplets are too varied in size, the overlapping diffraction patterns become blurred, and the glory is less visible or absent altogether. The position of the sun is also critical; the observer must be positioned between the sun and the mist or cloud, looking directly away from the sun. These precise atmospheric conditions, collectively referred to as frameswhether, are what make the appearance of a glory possible.