Fog Bows and Brocken Spectres

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 Robert Durran 19 Oct 2020

I have only seen a fog bow a handful of times in nearly fifty years on the hills. I see Brocken spectres several times a year. On Saturday on Sgurr nan Conbhairean I saw both simultaneously for the first ever time and, at the time, assumed this must be extremely rare. It actually transpires that fog bows were seen all over Scotland on Saturday and I've seen at least two photos of them with brocken spectres as well. So how rare is this? Were there very particular conditions on Saturday? The fog I had did seem unusual in that seemed very dense with visible droplets which instantly made everything very wet (camera lens had to be wiped before every shot).

Post edited at 07:28
 Mike-W-99 19 Oct 2020
 timparkin 19 Oct 2020
In reply to Robert Durran:

I think the droplet size in the mist has to me of a certain range and also consistent in size to make a bright 'glory' (the normal name for an undistorted 'spectre'). 

The fogbow is similar and needs a consistently sized drops. So stable weather, moist air at the right altitude, etc.

More information and some great pictures on one of my favourite websites.. 

https://www.atoptics.co.uk/droplets/fogbow.htm

https://www.atoptics.co.uk/droplets/glory.htm

https://www.atoptics.co.uk/droplets/globrock.htm

Tim

 aln 19 Oct 2020
In reply to Robert Durran:

I'm not sure how common they are, but I've had a Brocken spectre 3 times in 35 years of hill going. Most memorable was in the Mamores on an otherwise clear day. Standing on a ridge looking into a coire, clouds were forming in the coire then sweeping up the hill, enveloping me then dissipating. Every time they enveloped me a spectre formed, with a really distinct shadow, and the surrounding rainbow was incredibly brightly coloured. It was a truly magical experience that I'll never forget. 

 aln 19 Oct 2020
In reply to timparkin:

Fantastic, thanks for that! 

 Sayon 19 Oct 2020
In reply to Robert Durran:

I've seen quite a few Brocken spectres /glories over the years- I suspect as climbers and hillwalkers we're much more likely than the general population to see these- but only once seen a circumzenithal arc. It seems that this time of year is good to see them (I posted a photo of one in my gallery a year or two back if you're not familiar with them)

In reply to Robert Durran:

I was once unfurling the royals above the t'gallant sails about 100 feet above the deck of an old square rigger. It was a light winds day in May, on the Grand Banks, off Nova Scotia. There was a thick fog at deck level but the the top of the masts were in sunshine.

A fog bow and my brocken spectre were cast on the dense fog bank below so I yelled loudly down to the rest of the crew. 

It was the most exciting thing that happened that day, apart from when young Nick got up off his sick bed, threw up over the lee rail and took, once again, to his bunk for the next three weeks which was when we saw the high cliffs of Tory Island. 

 aln 19 Oct 2020
In reply to Heartinthe highlands:

Aaaaahhhrrrr me hearties... 

 streapadair 19 Oct 2020
In reply to Robert Durran:

Saw this on the way up a'Chralaig, Sep. '15


 Bulls Crack 19 Oct 2020
In reply to Robert Durran:

Not sure if these, for 2 days ago on Beinn Eighe count - it was a very light cloudy mizzle 


 Iain Thow 20 Oct 2020
In reply to Robert Durran:

Same true for me. I've only seen Fog Bows five times and the two together once (an amazing day on St Kilda), in nearly 8000 days on the hill (although one of the fog bows was in a Birmingham park!). I see Brocken Spectres at least half a dozen times a year, they are far more common than many people think, you just have to get in the habit of looking over edges when the conditions are promising. One time on Snowdon we saw one a few yards off the crest above Bwlch Glas - about 50 people walked past a few yards away but nobody came across to see what we were getting excited about.

 ScraggyGoat 20 Oct 2020
In reply to Iain Thow:

Agree, I see brocken spectre's several times a year, once you know the required conditions you have a good chance of generating them.  Only ever seen a fog-bow, once and like Robert with a Brocken within it.

Other interesting light events I've encountered is a moon-bow (rainbow by moonlight), mother of pearl cloud and a perfectly horizontal rainbow (i.e. without the bow) across the surface of a loch during heavy rain, not only were there rain-drops but the rain was so hard there were splash droplets being ejected upwards from the loch, plus spindrift being whipped by the wind.

Never seen a green flash as the sun dips below the horizon over the ocean.

Wonder if anyone has ever seen a brocken spectra or fog-bow by moonlight............

OP Robert Durran 21 Oct 2020
In reply to streapadair:

This photo was taken on Saturday from Sgurr nan Conbhairean with A'Chralaig in the background. The partial fogbow definitely showing some colour.

It seems from the replies that fogbows are relatively rare (far rarer than brocken spectres anyway) but if viewed from a ridge will often be in conjunction with a brocken spectre. Given how many people saw fog bows on Saturday, it seems that fog with the right kind of droplets was particularly widespread.

Post edited at 22:45

OP Robert Durran 21 Oct 2020
In reply to ScraggyGoat:

> Never seen a green flash as the sun dips below the horizon over the ocean.

Now that is something I would love to see.

I did see noctilucent clouds for the first time from Ardnamurchan.

 Mike-W-99 21 Oct 2020
In reply to Robert Durran:

Good shot.

I got out of bed too late on Saturday for the forecasted inversion, too hot instead!

 Rob Parsons 21 Oct 2020
In reply to ScraggyGoat:

> Never seen a green flash as the sun dips below the horizon over the ocean.

I've seen that once, from a mountain top looking west over relatively flatter ground. The effect is real, and dramatic.

 Mark Kemball 22 Oct 2020
In reply to ScraggyGoat:

> Never seen a green flash as the sun dips below the horizon over the ocean.

I see the green flash fairly often, but then I live near the beach and will often go to watch the sunset. Often it is just a very brief green light - blink and you might well miss it, but occasionally it can be quite spectacular. I've not yet managed to catch it on camera.

 Basemetal 22 Oct 2020
In reply to Mark Kemball:

I've spent a some time at sea and have always thought the green flash was a retinal after image from the change in brightness or colour when the sun finally dips. Ive been standing beside colleagues who've seen/haven't seen it quite independently when I've hought it asbent/marked.

Edit: Googling shows i'm quite wrong! Though to be fair, staring at the sun, even setting, does generate green dots in my eyes...

Post edited at 11:48

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