Light Circles
Taken by Marcella Giulia Pace on May 21, 2026 @
Modica-ITA
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Camera Used: Apple iPhone 16 Pro
Exposure Time: 1/43000
Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 50
Date Taken: 2026:05:21 18:58:10
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Details:
How did this spider manage to weave an iridescent web perfectly concentric around the Sun?
No, it is not magic. Or perhaps it is, that kind of conscious wonder born when science unveils the secrets of nature without taking away any of its awe.
The explanation behind this phenomenon lies in the interaction between sunlight and the extremely thin threads of the spider web. The spider silk acts as a collection of microscopic mirrors, prisms, and natural diffraction gratings.
Only certain portions of the threads are able to reflect sunlight toward the observer, creating concentric luminous arcs and rings known as light rings.
The delicate iridescent colors, on the other hand, arise from diffraction and interference of light on the micrometric silk filaments, whose diameter is comparable to the wavelength of visible light.
Light rings are optical phenomena that can also be observed around wet branches, dew-covered blades of grass, or even scratched plastic surfaces. In all these cases, thin linear structures reflect light only in specific directions, producing apparent luminous arcs around the observed light source.
Camera: iPhone
Location: Modica Countryside (Sicily-ITA)
Day: 21 May 2026
Photographer's website:
https://greenflash.photo/portfolio/riflessi-di-luce-tra-i-rami-bagnati/
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