iridescent colors in living organisms
Taken by Mila Zinkova on July 30, 2016 @
San Mateo, California, USA
Click photo for larger image
| |
Camera Used: Unavailable Unavailable
Exposure Time: Unavailable
Aperture: Unavailable
ISO: Unavailable
Date Taken: 2016:07:30 17:51:40
|
|
| More images
Details:
Today I observed two insects with bright iridescent wings. They attracted my attention because I did not recall seeing iridescence in flies and/or gnats before. Apparently flies and gnats wings display iridescence only against dark background http://www.wired.com/2011/01/insect-wing-color/ and my insects were black. Then I started thinking in what other living organisms I saw iridescence. Of course in hummingbirds the iridescence is absolutely striking.But what is the physics and optics behind these bright colors? Atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley has pages on this very subject http://www.atoptics.co.uk/fz1102.htm and http://www.atoptics.co.uk/fz445.htm
Photographer's website:
No URL provided.
|
|
|
