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Polarization of the Sky

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Polarized Light and Polarization Vision in Animal Sciences

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Vision Research ((SSVR,volume 2))

Abstract

Based on full-sky imaging polarimetric measurements, in this chapter we demonstrate that the celestial distribution of the angle of polarization (or E-vector direction) of skylight is a very robust pattern being qualitatively always the same under all possible sky conditions. Practically the only qualitative difference among clear, partly cloudy, overcast, foggy, smoky and tree-canopied skies occurs in the degree of linear polarization d: The higher the optical thickness of the non-clear atmosphere, the lower the d of skylight. We review here how well the Rayleigh model describes the E-vector pattern of clear and cloudy skies. We deal with the polarization patterns of foggy, partly cloudy, overcast, twilight, smoky and total-solar-eclipsed skies. We describe the possible influences of the changed polarization pattern of smoky and eclipsed skies on insect orientation. We consider the polarization of ‘water-skies’ above Arctic open waters and the polarization characteristics of fogbows. Finally, we deal with the change of skylight polarization due to the transmission through Snell’s window of the flat water surface.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Sunlit fog means that the fog layer is illuminated by direct sunlight, because the sun is not occluded by clouds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Optics Laboratory, Department of Biological Physics, Physical Institute, Eötvös University, Pázmány sétány 1, 1117, Budapest, Hungary

    Gábor Horváth

  2. Estrato Research and Development Ltd, Mártonlak utca 13, 1121, Budapest, Hungary

    András Barta

  3. Max Planck Institute for Informatics, Campus E1.4, 66123, Saarbruecken, Germany

    Ramón Hegedüs

  4. INRIA Sud-Ouest Bordeaux, 200, Avenue de la Vieille Tour, 33400, Talence, France

    Ramón Hegedüs

  5. Laboratoire Photonique, Numérique et Nanosciences (L2PN), UMR 5298, CNRS IOGS University Bordeaux, Institut d’Optique d’Aquitaine, 33405, Talence, France

    Ramón Hegedüs

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  1. Gábor Horváth
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  2. András Barta
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  3. Ramón Hegedüs
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Correspondence to Gábor Horváth .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Optics Laboratory, Dept. Biological Physics, Eötvös University, Budapest, Hungary

    Gábor Horváth

1 Electronic Supplementray Material

Supplementary figures and 13 video clips are available in the online version of this chapter. The videos can also be accessed at http://www.springerimages.com/videos/ <ISBN print>. (GIF 7709 kb)

71484_2_En_18_MOESM17_ESM.zip

Colour picture of skylight and earthlight photographed from a hot air balloon at a height of 3,500 m on 25 June 2001 by a 180° field-of-view imaging polarimeter at sunrise. The 180° field-of-view circular sky and earth pictures are displayed on the celestial and terrestrial hemispheres, respectively. The two hemispheres compose a rotating sphere that demonstrates how an observer sees the scenery when looking around (copyright holders: Dr. Balázs Bernáth, Bence Suhai and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 7709 kb)

71484_2_En_18_MOESM18_ESM.zip

Degree of linear polarization p of skylight and earthlight measured by 180° field-of-view imaging polarimetry in the green (550 nm) spectral range from a hot air balloon at a height of 3,500 m on 25 June 2001 at sunrise. The 180° field-of-view circular p-patterns of skylight and earthlight are displayed on the celestial and terrestrial hemispheres, respectively. The two hemispheres compose a rotating sphere that demonstrates how a polarization-sensitive observer sees the scenery when looking around. The Arago/fourth and the Babinet/Brewster neutral points of atmospheric polarization are above/below the anti-sun and sun, respectively (copyright holders: Dr. Balázs Bernáth, Bence Suhai and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 9709 kb)

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Angle of polarization α of skylight and earthlight measured by 180° field-of-view imaging polarimetry in the green (550 nm) spectral range from a hot air balloon at a height of 3,500 m on 25 June 2001 at sunrise. The 180° field-of-view circular α-patterns of skylight and earthlight are displayed on the celestial and terrestrial hemispheres, respectively. The two hemispheres compose a rotating sphere that demonstrates how a polarization-sensitive observer sees the scenery when looking around. The Arago/fourth and the Babinet/Brewster neutral points of atmospheric polarization are above/below the anti-sun and sun, respectively (copyright holders: Dr. Balázs Bernáth, Bence Suhai and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 10553 kb)

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Pattern of the degree δ (left) and angle α (clockwise from the local meridian; right) of linear polarization of skylight calculated on the basis of the single-scattered Rayleigh model as a function of time (sun position) on 21 June 2000 at Maharés (Tunisia). The sun position is marked by a black dot. In the α-pattern the local direction of polarization of skylight is shown by a black bar. East and West are transposed in the compass rose, because we are looking upward at the sky-dome rather than downward at a map (copyright holders: Dr. József Gál and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 8981 kb)

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Patterns of the intensity I (upper row), degree d (middle row) and angle α (clockwise from the local meridian, lower row) of linear polarization of light from a clear sky during 24 h as a function of time at Sodankylä (Finland) in June 1999 when the sun did not set below the horizon. The patterns were measured by 180° field-of-view imaging polarimetry in the red (650 nm, left column), green (550 nm, middle column) and blue (450 nm, right column) parts of the spectrum. The higher the d-value, the darker the grey shade (white: p = 0 %, black: p = 100 %). The centre and perimeter of the circular patterns are the zenith and the horizon, respectively. The sun was occluded by a small disc. One of the radial bars is the wire of the sun occulter rotating together with the solar meridian. The other, constant, bar is the metal rod of a meteorological tower. In the α-patterns the overexposed sky regions are shaded black (copyright holders: Dr. József Gál and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 21545 kb)

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Colour picture and the patterns of the degree d and angle α of linear polarization of the sky measured by full-sky imaging polarimetry in the red (650 nm), green (550 nm) and blue (450 nm) parts of the spectrum at Kecel (Hungary) on 11 August 1999 at 12:51 (=local summer time = UTC + 2 h) prior to the totality of a solar eclipse. The 180° field-of-view circular patterns are displayed on a rotating hemisphere. The sun is occluded by a small disc held by a wire. The overexposed sky regions are red and black in the d- and α-patterns, respectively (copyright holders: Bence Suhai, Dr. József Gál, Dr. István Pomozi and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 14278 kb)

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Colour picture and the patterns of the degree d and angle α of linear polarization of the sky measured by full-sky imaging polarimetry in the red (650 nm), green (550 nm) and blue (450 nm) parts of the spectrum at Kecel (Hungary) on 11 August 1999 at 12:52 (=local summer time = UTC + 2 h) during the totality of a solar eclipse. The 180° field-of-view circular patterns are displayed on a rotating hemisphere. In the d-patterns the weakly polarized or unpolarized (neutral) points of the sky and their surroundings are displayed by blue–green–yellow colours (copyright holders: Bence Suhai, Dr. József Gál, Dr. István Pomozi and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 14278 kb)

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Colour picture and the patterns of the degree d and angle α of linear polarization of the sky measured by full-sky imaging polarimetry in the red (650 nm), green (550 nm) and blue (450 nm) parts of the spectrum at Kecel (Hungary) on 11 August 1999 at 12:52 (=local summer time = UTC + 2 h) during the totality of a solar eclipse. The 180° field-of-view circular patterns are displayed on a rotating hemisphere. The overexposed sky regions are red and black in the d- and α-patterns, respectively (copyright holders: Bence Suhai, Dr. József Gál, Dr. István Pomozi and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 14278 kb)

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Colour picture and the patterns of the degree d and angle α of linear polarization of the normal, partly cloudy sky measured by full-sky imaging polarimetry in the red (650 nm), green (550 nm) and blue (450 nm) parts of the spectrum at Kecel (Hungary) on 12 August 1999 (subsequent day of the total solar eclipse of 11 August 1999) at 12:52 (=local summer time = UTC + 2 h). The 180° field-of-view circular patterns are displayed on a rotating hemisphere. The clouds are red and black in the d- and α-patterns, respectively. The sun is occluded by a small disc held by a wire (copyright holders: Bence Suhai, Dr. József Gál, Dr. István Pomozi and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 14278 kb)

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Colour picture and the patterns of the degree d and angle α of linear polarization of the normal, clear sky measured by full-sky imaging polarimetry in the red (650 nm), green (550 nm) and blue (450 nm) parts of the spectrum in Tunisia on 26 August 1999 at 12:00 (=local summer time = UTC + 1 h) for the same zenith angle of 32° of the sun as that during the totality of the solar eclipse on 11 August 1999. The 180° field-of-view circular patterns are displayed on a rotating hemisphere. The overexposed sky regions are red and black in the d- and α-patterns, respectively. The sun is occluded by a small disc held by a wire (copyright holders: Bence Suhai, Dr. József Gál, Dr. István Pomozi and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 14278 kb)

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Colour picture and the patterns of the degree d and angle α of linear polarization of the sky measured by full-sky imaging polarimetry in the red (650 nm), green (550 nm) and blue (450 nm) parts of the spectrum at Kecel (Hungary) on 11 August 1999 from the pre-eclipse (11:29−12:51 = local summer time = UTC + 2 h) through the totality (12:52−12:53) to the post-eclipse (13:01−14:13) during the total solar eclipse. In the d-patterns the over- and underexposed sky regions are red and blue, respectively. In the α-patterns the over- or underexposed sky regions are black. During the pre- and post-eclipse the sun is occluded by a small disc held by a wire (copyright holders: Dr. István Pomozi, Dr. József Gál and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 9358 kb)

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180° field-of-view (full-sky) colour photographs of the sky taken at Kunfehértó (Hungary) on 11 August 1999 from the pre-eclipse through the totality to the post-eclipse during the total solar eclipse (local summer time = UTC + 2 h). East and West are transposed in the compass rose, because we are looking upward at the sky-dome rather than downward at a map (copyright holders: Dr. Balázs Bernáth, Bence Suhai, Dr. József Gál and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 18085 kb)

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Patterns of the intensity I (upper row), degree d (middle row) and angle α (clockwise from the vertical, lower row) of linear polarization of light from the solar corona measured by imaging polarimetry in the red (650 nm, left column), green (550 nm, middle column) and blue (450 nm, right column) parts of the spectrum at Kecel (Hungary) on 11 August 1999 during the totality of the solar eclipse. The higher the d-value, the darker the grey shade (white: p = 0 %, black: p = 100 %). In the d-patterns the over- and underexposed sky regions are red and blue, respectively. In the α-patterns the over- or underexposed sky regions are black (copyright holders: Dr. István Pomozi and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 5174 kb)

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Horváth, G., Barta, A., Hegedüs, R. (2014). Polarization of the Sky. In: Horváth, G. (eds) Polarized Light and Polarization Vision in Animal Sciences. Springer Series in Vision Research, vol 2. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54718-8_18

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