Mie scattering
Spherical particle optics
Mie scattering is the scattering of light by particles roughly the same size as the wavelength of the light itself—typically dust, pollen, water droplets, or aerosols.
Unlike Rayleigh scattering, which affects all wavelengths differently and makes the sky blue, Mie scattering affects wavelengths more uniformly, producing the white or gray appearance of clouds and fog.
The effect explains why sunsets look hazier on dusty days.
Visible electromagnetic radiation
- wavelengthSpatial repetition interval
- particlesMinute pieces of matter
- aerosolsSuspended particles in gas
- diffractionWaves spreading past obstacles
spheres · droplets · extinction · cross-section · intensity · polarization · interference · coherent
Visible overhead expanse
- sunsetDay yielding to darkness
- twilightLight after sunset
- duskDimming after sundown
- dawnDay's first glow
haze · fog · clouds · alpenglow · crepuscular · golden hour · blue sky · red sky
Light-based distance measurement
- remote sensingGathering data without contact
- meteorologyStudy of atmospheric phenomena
- radarRadio-wave object detection
- nanoparticlesUltrafine material fragments
pollution monitoring · medical imaging · oceanography · astronomy · atmospheric science
light
Visible electromagnetic radiation
- wavelengthSpatial repetition interval
- particlesMinute pieces of matter
- aerosolsSuspended particles in gas
diffraction · spheres · droplets · extinction · cross-section · intensity · polarization · interference · coherent
sky
Visible overhead expanse
dawn · haze · fog · clouds · alpenglow · crepuscular · golden hour · blue sky · red sky · horizon
LIDAR
Light-based distance measurement
- remote sensingGathering data without contact
- meteorologyStudy of atmospheric phenomena
- radarRadio-wave object detection
nanoparticles · pollution monitoring · medical imaging · oceanography · astronomy · atmospheric science
- light phenomenarainbow, refraction, diffraction, spectrum, prism
- scatteringbackscatter
- atmospheric opticsrainbows, halos, haloes, mirages, sundogs
Mie scatteringabsorption
Process of taking in
extinction · emission · light absorption · dichroism · fluorescence
scatter, scattered, scattering, forward scatter, scatters, scatterings, backscattering, scattergram