Product Description
All of science springs from the observations of nature. In this classic book, the late Marcel Minnaert accompanies the reader on a tour of nature's light and color and reveals the myriad phenomena that may be observed outdoors with no more than a pair of sharp eyes and an enquiring mind. From the intriguing shape of the dapples beneath a tree on a sunny day, to rainbows, mirages, and haloes, to the colors of liquid, ice, and the sky, to the appearance of the sun, moon, planets, and stars - Minnaert describes and explains them all in a clear language accessible to the general reader. The author's enthusiasm inspires the reader, who is encouraged and given abundant opportunity to make his or her own observations and perform simple experiments. Yet the phototgrapher, astronomer, or physicist will also find a wealth of detailed information, much available elsewhere, on more exotic phenomena assembled by Minnaert over many years. Among them are Sun dogs, the fata morgana, coronae, glories, noctilucent and iridescent clouds, and haloes. This volume includes 80 new photographs, over half in color, illustrating many of the phenomena - ordinary and exotic - discussed in the book. Most of the new photos are by Pekka Parviainen, the renowned Finnish nature photographer. FROM THE REVIEWS: PHYSICALIA "Photographers, astronomers and physicists will find a wealth of information on light phenomena in nature such as sun dogs, fata morganas, coronae, glories, noctilucent and iridescent clouds and haloes. All phenomena are described and explained in a clear language accessible to both scientists and laymen. This book contains 13 chapters, in which 273 phenomena are carefully described...The descriptions are lavishly illustrated with drawings, black-and-white and color photographs. The physical basis of all phenomena is clearly explained...The 80 new photographs mostly by the renowned Finnish nature photographer Pekka Perviainen, included in this new edition, help greatly to make this book attractive. This book shows clearly how intense physics and many nature phenomena are interwoven. It is interesting reading for a scientific minded observer of nature, including physicists with a keen eye for physical phenomena outside the laboratory." CRUISING WORLD "Minnaert flawlessly explicates natural and artificial light effects from rainbows, halos, and twinkling heavenly bodies to the rarer evanescent dewbows, coronas, eclipse eccentricities and legendary Fata Morgana. After studying, diagramming and occasionally justifying them with mathematical formulae, he assembled them into this colorful encyclopedia, which he has made surprisingly lively with literary references, folklore and personal reminiscences...It belongs in the cockpit where it will serve best those sailors who wish to see more deeply into the universe's fascinating empire of light." OPTIK "From the intriguing shape of the dapples beneath a tree on a sunny day, to rainbows, mirages, and haloes, to the colors of liquid, ice, and the sky, to the appearance of the sun, moon, planets, and stars - Minnaert describes and explains them all in a clear language accessible to the layman. The author's enthusiasm inspires the reader, who is encourages and given abundant opportunity to make his or her own observations and perform simple experiments. Yet the photographer, astronomer, or physicist will also find a wealth of detailed information, much unavailable elsewhere, on more exotic phenomena assembled by Minnaert over many years...The book is an invitation to rejoice in nature and science." AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYICS "Minnaert's book is a gem!...It is a wonderful book that should be known by everyone who has an interest in the natural visual world. It has enriched my life and the lives of many people whom I know." SKY & TELESCOPE "LIGHT AND COLOR IN THE OUTDOORS is a one volume reference that covers every imaginable interaction of atmosphere and light from rainbows and halos to Sun pillars and noctilucent clouds. First published in 1940...this definitive book is once again available." EDWARD R. TUFTE, AUTHOR OF "THE VISUAL DISPLAY OF QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION" "A change-your-life classic . . . This deeply perceptive book changes our own perceptions of all kinds of light and color events in the outdoors. You will never see the same way again outdoors. Some examples involve elementary optics (which explain the visual phenomena) but nearly all the 278 short chapters can be appreciated by the visually alert reader. My favorite examples include dappled light, rainbows (there are always two), and differences between reflected and transmitted light in seeing leaves and grass. The Dover edition is fine; the Springer-Verlag edition is better with its excellent color photographs." |
