It is an annual tradition of mine to take a picture of the Sun at noon on the day of winter solstice. As a consequence of the weather conditions often present in the deep winter, this tradition is “more honored in the breach than in the observance.” I don’t consider it worth the risk of car failure in a remote location just for the chance of a nice picture. So, I leave myself free time in order to seize the opportunity if the conditions are good and I congratulate myself for avoiding unjustified risks when conditions are poor. Restraint can be valued as much as resolve.
Today, we had a wonderfully clear sky, with the haze mostly confined to the lower elevations. The scenic overlook site at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus afforded an unobstructed view of the Sun. I arrived at approximately 12:30 P.M. and took shots from a few angles when I observed that a bank of haze had drifted into position just below the disc of the Sun. The rays of sunlight passing through that area were now scattered at a variety of angles, some of which redirected the light to my eye to form the image of a glowing pedestal supporting the Sun above the mountain tops.
In person, the intensity of the light was too great to notice much detail. So, it was only after returning home and downloading the images to my computer that I discovered the coincidental resemblance between the sunlight areas and a nuclear blast cloud.
Perhaps partially in consequence of the wonderfully clear sky, it was -37F while I was on my photography tour. At such temperatures we often have an atmospheric inversion, and today was no exception. Looking to the east from the UAF campus, Birch Hill can be seen surrounded by a moat of haze.
In populated areas, the haze is often contains frozen moisture from the combustion of gasoline, fuel oil, and wood. Because the colder air is found below warmer air, the temperature of the combustion gases doesn’t provide them with sufficient buoyancy to rise high enough to be dispersed. One result is a considerable decrease in air quality. Fortunately, that was not the case, today. The haze was limited in extent and there were no air quality alerts issued.
Happy Solstice!
Wow! It’s a good thing you checked after the fact.
Your product was astonishing in transformation in configuration.
What a picturesque place to live!