Why is the sky blue? Why do mountains glow in the dark? Is the darkest always before the dawn? An ideal reference to have to hand in answering questions such as these, Color and Light in Nature is an endlessly fascinating exploration of phenomena that are familiar to us all, but that even trained scientists take for granted. Take the question of why stars twinkle, for instance. Twinkling, astronomers Lynch and Livingston observe, is strongest with stars that are low in the sky, and then on a clear and windy night, when starlight passing through the atmosphere encounters little pockets of turbulence that bend its rays "momentarily away from our eyes". Sunlight undergoes similar distortions, yielding mirages, "blinks", sundogs, haloes, rainbows, "mountain light", and other wonders of nature, all of which the authors describe and explain in clear and accessible prose.

Lynch and Livingston encourage their readers to seek out and study these phenomena for themselves, writing, for instance , "No effort should be spared to witness at least one total eclipse in your lifetime." They go on to make a good case for why that should be so, and why the workings of light and colour should be of interest to students of science. Their book is a lively companion and teacher. --Gregory McNamee

?Most people notice only the occasional rainbow and pretty sunset, yet they could see much more if they only knew what to look for. Color and Light in Nature will facilitate this admirably ? the up-to-date research, new ideas, beautiful pictures, and excellent explanations make Color and Light in Nature the new classic.? Science

?? a beautifully illustrated popular account of atmospheric phenomena ? Many teachers as well as a good many naturalists will find the book to be a highly useful and comprehensive treatment of a beautiful subject, one that can be used to enliven dry classroom discussions of optics, light and colour.? Nature

?Lynch and Livingston deserve the thanks of the scientific community for re-opening our eyes to the wonderful world around us.? American Scientist

?A breathtaking list of effects is explained ? along with how they got there. It just made me want to rush out and look at the things.? New Scientist

?If you ever wanted to know why the sky is blue, or what clouds are made of, or how rainbows are formed, then this is the book for you.? Brendan K. Ward, Astronomy & Space

We live in a world of optical marvels - from the commonplace but beautiful rainbow, to the rare and eerie superior mirage. But how many of us really understand how a rainbow is formed, why the setting sun is red and flattened, or even why the sky at night is not absolutely black? This beautiful and informative guide provides clear explanations to all naturally occurring optical phenomena seen with the naked eye, including shadows, halos, water optics, mirages and a host of other spectacles. Separating myth from reality, it outlines the basic principles involved, and supports them with many figures and references. A wealth of rare and spectacular photographs, many in full color, illustrate the phenomena throughout. In this new edition of the highly-acclaimed guide to seeing, photographing and understanding nature?s optical delights, the authors have added over 50 new images and provided new material on experiments you can try yourself.

This beautiful and informative guide provides clear explanations to all naturally occurring optical phenomena seen with the naked eye, including shadows, halos, water optics, eclipses and mirages. It outlines the basic principles involved, and supports them with many figures and references, and a wealth of rare and spectacular photographs.

We live in a world of optical marvels - from the commonplace but beautiful rainbow, to the rare and eerie superior mirage. But how many of us really understand how a rainbow is formed, why the setting sun is red and flattened, or even why the sky at night is not absolutely black? This beautiful and informative guide provides clear explanations to all naturally occurring optical phenomena seen with the naked eye, including shadows, halos, water optics, mirages and a host of other spectacles. Separating myth from reality, it outlines the basic principles involved, and supports them with many figures and references. A wealth of rare and spectacular photographs, many in full color, illustrate the phenomena throughout. In this new edition of the highly-acclaimed guide to seeing, photographing and understanding nature's optical delights, the authors have added over 50 new images and provided new material on experiments you can try yourself.

David Lynch is an astronomer and atmospheric physicist, specializing in infrared studies of star-formation regions, comets, supernovae and cirrus clouds. After receiving his PhD in astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin, he was a Visiting Associate in Physics at the California Institute of Technology and an Assistant Astronomer at the University of California at Berkeley. He has worked at the Hughes Research Laboratories and the Aerospace Corporation, and operates Thule Scientific, a private research institute. He has organised and chaired many meetings on atmospheric science and been Principal Investigator on a variety of NASA, NOAA, NSF and DoD programs.

Bill Livingston has been an astronomer at the Kitt Peak Observatory in southern Arizona for his entire professional life (since Jan 1959). Originally he helped design and build instruments and telescopes. Later he became a solar observer and has spent a great deal of time on Kitt Peak, a fact which accounts for many of the pictures in this book. He participated in many solar eclipse expeditions which took him to Alaska, the South Pacific, Africa, Indonesia, India, and recently Turkey. He has traveled widely in Russia and China, but he hastens to add that his best sightings of atmospheric phenomena were from his backyard in Tucson.

2002-09-20 Breath-taking

An exquisite eye-opening volume. If you've ever looked at the world and felt frustrated by your inability to understand the phenomenal qualities of light, then this book is the one you have been looking for. Vast in scope (clouds, water, galaxies, shadows etc.), seemingly every area of visual experience is covered by the authors in a knowledgable and humane exploration of the underlying physics, whilst the text is complemented beautifully by the range of accompanying photographs. One of those books which will remain a life-long companion.