Balloon Project Provides Optics Picture of the Day

Wednesday, 23 July 2014

Images from the highly successful Bolton School in Space Project have been selected as an ‘Optics Picture of the Day’ on one of the world’s leading atmospheric optics sites, ‘Atmospheric Optics’.

The featured picture, which was captured by the camera attached to the high-altitude balloon, shows an ice halo around the sun. Coincidentally, this was photographed at almost the exact same moment by Bolton School’s Alec Jones on the ground; this photograph has also been included. The images will be permanently featured on the website.

Les Cowley, who is one of the world's leading atmospheric optics experts and runs ‘Atmspheric Optics’ and ‘Optics Picture of the Day’, accepted the photographs after Alec Jones submitted them for his consideration.

The 'Optics Picture of the Day' aims to feature high-quality images of naturally-occurring optical effects, and accompanies them with an accurate scientific description. The sister site, 'Atmospheric Optics', explores the science and explanations of the effects in more details. The site is extremely well-known among those interested in this field, and it is a great achievement to have photographs from the Bolton School in Space Project featured there!

View the feature on the Bolton School in Space photos here: High and Low Altitude Halo.