Category: Atmospheric Optics

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Three stunning images of some Atmospheric Optics taken by members whilst out and about.

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This superb image was taken by Honor Wheeler using a phone camera whilst walking in Surrey on the 22nd March 2026.  The stunning image shows a Halo, Sundog, and Upper tangent arc.

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This super image was taken by Janice McClean also using a phone camera on the 22nd March 2026 (Janice & Honor were on a walk together at the time) showing the Halo, Sundog and Upper tangent arc.

The Sundog is on the left of the photos and the Upper tangent arc is the white line going across the top of the halo (the circle).

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A stunning image taken by Andrew Godden whilst on holiday in Malta on the 4th April 2026 using a phone camera of a Circumscribed halo with Parhelic circle.

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A great image of a Lunar Corona and Jupiter taken by member Gary Hunt on the 27th February 2026.  

Jupiter is the dot on the right hand side of the Moon at the 2 o'clock position.

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Two superb images of the same Solar Halo taken by Jim Burchell on the 17th February 2026.

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Four fab Lunar Halo images. All taken on the night of the 13th Dec 2025.

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By Martin Crow from Burham-On-Crouch.

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By Gary Hunt taken from Isle of Sheppey.

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By Honor Wheeler from Dartford.

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By George Buckberry from Hextable.

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A super collection of Noctilucent Cloud (NLC) images and a timelapse video taken by CMHASD members during the months of June & July this year.

First we have the 23rd June 2025 where several members managed to capture the clouds.

Member Martin Crow using his iPhone; taken from Burnham-On-Crouch.

And finally a timelapse video of NLC on the 23rd June 2025 taken by member Honor Wheeler also from Dartford.

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Member Jim Burchell also caught NLC on 3 more nights. These were taken on the 30th June 2025 from Dartford.

These on the 3rd July 2025 taken from Dartford.

And finally a stunning display on the 8th July 2025 taken from Swanley by Jim.

NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN DIRECTLY. Please click here for solar observing safely.

A stunning example of 2 Sun dogs captured by member Kevin Smith whilst on an early morning walk on the 10th Sept 2024.

A sun dog is also called a parhelion (plural parhelia) and is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that consists of a bright spot to one or both sides of the Sun. The sun dog is a member of the family of halos caused by the refraction of sunlight by ice crystals in the atmosphere.

NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN DIRECTLY. Please click here for solar observing safely.

A lovely selection of images from Society members.

First two superb images are of the Sun and Moon taken by Jim Burchell on the 28th.

Next are a selection of fantastic images of the Noctilucent Cloud that put in an appearance during the night of the 28th/29th June.  It turned out to be quite a stunning display as you will see :-)

First set of images are from our Chairman John Archer whilst in Northumberland on the 28th June.  The 1st 3 images show the NLC developing over the North Sea.

Taken at 10.46pm.

Taken at 10.55pm.

Taken at 11.04pm.

Taken at 11.20pm.

The next 2 images are from Diane Clarke taken from Belvedere.  The 2nd image is absolutely stunning.

Taken at 10.53pm.

Taken at 11.15pm.

The next 2 superb images were taken by Honor Wheeler from Dartford.

Taken at 10.10pm.

Taken at 11.14pm.

This super image was taken by John Howarth from Bexley.

Taken at 11.10pm

This dramatic NLC image was taken by Bob Bryne from Dartford.

Taken at 11.27pm.

These lovely NLC images were taken by Sonia Rubie from Bexley.

Taken at 11.06pm.

Taken at 11.12pm.

These last 2 superb images were taken by Jim Burchell from Dartford just after midnight, so on the 29th June 2024 at 12.06am and 12.07am.

A lovely selection of NLC images taken by Society members on the 7th & 14th of July 2024.

7th July 2024

Honor Wheeler - Dartford.

A panoramic photo by Honor Wheeler comprising 5 individual images.

The bright star like object on the right hand side, middle is Jupiter, diagonally up, top and right is Mars and in-between at the top of the image you can just make out the Pleiades. Taken using a Canon Camera M6II on a tripod, ISO800, f/4.5, 1/2sec, 18-400mm lens set to 37mm. 02:18UTC

Jim Burchell - Dartford.

Bob Byrne - Dartford.

Sonia Rubie - Bexley.

Taken using an iPhone - point & shoot.

14th July 2024

Jim Burchell - Dartford.

Honor Wheeler - Dartford. 

This is 6 frame panoramic taken at 21:45UTC.
Taken using a Canon Camera M6II, Tamron 18-400mm lens, ISO800, f/4, 1/1sec. Each frame the lens was set to 27mm. Panoramic created in Bimostitch and processed in Snapseed.

Martin Crow - Burnham on Crouch, Essex.

Time Lapse video by Martin Crow

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Sonia Rubie - Bexley.

Taken using an iPhone - point & shoot.

It is Noctilucent Cloud (NLC) season and members have been watching the sky to see if these elusive clouds put in an appearance - and I am pleased to report that they have. A few members have spotted them....

First this season was by Honor Wheeler whilst in Norfolk on the 17th June 2024.

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Second was by Jim Burchell on the 18th June 2024 from Dartford.

Third was by Jim Burchell & Sonia Rubie on the 20th June 2024.

NLC spotted by Jim on the 20th June 2024 from Dartford.

NLC spotted by Sonia Rubie on the 20th June 2024 from Bexley.

And finally, fourth by Martin Crow on 23rd June 2024 from Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex.

A fantastic image of a double rainbow captured by member Kevin Smith whilst on a walk in Deal, Kent on the 16th April 2024.

At 6.35pm Kevin was walking along the marshes to the West of Deal looking East towards the sea, about 700 metres from the beach when he saw the rainbow and used his Samsung A52s mobile phone to take the photo.

''A double rainbow is a wonderful sight where you get two spectacular natural displays for the price of one.

Surprisingly, this phenomenon is actually relatively common, especially at times when the sun is low in the sky such as in the early morning or late afternoon. The second rainbow is fainter and more 'pastel' in tone than the primary rainbow because more light escapes from two reflections compared to one.

The secondary rainbow is also dispersed over a wider area of the sky. It is nearly twice as wide as the primary bow.

A key feature of double rainbows is that the colour sequence in the second rainbow is reversed.

The dark band between the two rainbows is known as Alexander's band, after Alexander of Aphrodisias who first described it in 200AD.

The band forms because between the deviation angles of the primary and secondary rainbows none of the sunlight is scattered by the raindrops towards the observer giving the band of dark sky.

How are double rainbows formed?

Double rainbows are formed when sunlight is reflected twice within a raindrop with the violet light that reaches the observer's eye coming from the higher raindrops and the red light from lower raindrops.

This means the sequence of colours is inverted compared to the primary rainbow, with the secondary bow appearing about 10 degrees above the primary bow.'' Ref:https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/optical-effects/rainbows/double-rainbows