Atmospheric phenomena Voyage Tips and guide

This is an article about the atmosphere as a natural attraction. See weather for safety concerns.

Atmospheric phenomena are spectacular formations and optical illusions in Earth's atmosphere. While sights such as sunsets and rainbows can be seen in most places around Earth, some places on Earth are known for unusual concentrations of mirages, thunderstorms, and other wonders of the sky.

A mirage is a displaced image of an object just above or below the horizon. They are associated with deserts, and the trope of deceiving travellers at land and sea.

A Fata Morgana is a multiple mirage which extends high above the horizon. Sicily, in particular the Strait of Messina and the Etna mountain has been known since antiquity for these mirages, and they can also be seen in the Arctic.

Sunrise and sunset can be seen whenever the sky is not totally overcast. The sun's trajectory differs dependent on latitude, and these take a long time closer to the poles. Sunsets can become more colourful through air pollution.

A halo is a 22 degree circle around the sun. Sun dogs are blank spots at level with the sun. These are usually visible on a sunny and cold day.

A rainbow is visible in the opposite direction of a light source, typically the sun. A full-circle rainbow can be seen from an aircraft or a tall mountain. Especially in humid climate, a moonbow can appear from moonlight.

The midnight sun is visible at summer in the Arctic and Antarctica.

A Brocken spectre is a shadow from an elevated person or object projected onto a lower surface, famous from the Brocken peak in Germany.

Fog is common in humid climate, and can cause spectacular effects such as fogbows.

Rime is ice deposited on the ground, vegetation, and other objects. Rime creates a shiny scenery in cold weather where snow has yet to fall.

The aurora borealis and aurora australis are electrically charged particles interacting with Earth's magnetic field.

• Air pollution
• Astronomy
  • Solar eclipses
• Science tourism
• Space
• UFOs, usually confused with natural atmospheric phenomena
• Weather