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Brocken Spectre

Brocken spectres are basically visual illusions, caused by the combination of sunshine and mist in the mountains. If the viewer is on a ridge, looking out onto an open space filled with mist, while the area behind is in sunshine, the mist acts as a projection screen, and an image of the viewer appears in front as if floating in space. Depending on the thickness of the mist, the image is surrrounded by a more or less visible halo effect. You get an idea of the effect from this photo, taken in the hills above Glenfinnan in Scotland.

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Uploaded on February 4, 2005
Taken on February 4, 2005