The heiligenschein or 'holy glow' can be seen in the early morning when the sun is low and there is dew on the grass.
On a morning when the sun is low in the sky and the grass is wet with dew the heiligenschein, or holy glow, can be seen. The heiligenschein is formed because the small droplets on the leaves focus the sunlight in a bright spot on the leaf. Some of the light from this spot returns through the droplet along almost the same path as it came. The result of this is that each drop 'backscatters' sunlight, returning it most brightly in directions towards the sun. The glow is usually centred on the shadow of the observer's head, but this is simply where the observer sees it from. In fact, it is centred on the observation point, so each observer will their own heiligenscein and it will appear to be centred on their own When I moved the camera from my eye out to arms length, its heiligenschein moved with it. See Alamy image AW4G55 for an illustration of this.
Size: 3524px × 5300px
Location: Switzerland
Photo credit: © Alistair Scott / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: Yes
Keywords: -scatter, anti-solar, antisolar, atmospheric, backscatter, backscattering, bright, crop, dawn, dew, dewdrop, dewy, drop, droplet, field, fresh, glory, glow, grass, halo, heiligenschein, illusion”, morning, natural, optical, optics, optics”, plant, point, reflection, scatter, shadow, shine”, solar”, sun, sunshine, vertical, “anti, “atmospheric, “holy, “optical
