Brocken Spectre (w-824-06)

In gallery: Photos of the month (2006)
Related photos: Atmospheric optics Light in water droplets Glory

This Brocken Spectre (shadow of observer cast on/in fog) with glory was shortly visible on September 8, from the Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research in New Mexico (USA). The fog was actually a low cloud that was below the mountaintop observatory. The shadow to the right of the glory is from a rooftop building next to where I was standing.

This phenomenon lasted really short. I was anticipating a glory, and my patience during the long wait was rewarded with about 5 to 10 seconds of photo opportunities. After that time, clouds again blocked the sun. Taken with a Nikon FE, Fujichrome Provia 100F film, with 50mm/8 lens. Unfortunately I forgot to attend my processing machine during the first developing cycle of this film, and the slides were 1.5 stop overexposed, but I had underexposed many photos during photography, so all was not lost.