Fata Morgana – Superior Mirage
Posted by Lee Petersen | May 15, 2022
Fata Morgana – Superior Mirage

A fata morgana or superior mirage is a mirage that appears on the horizon and is typically associated with ships at sea or distant mountains.

Continue Reading
Parhelion – Sun Dog
Posted by Lee Petersen | April 29, 2022
Parhelion – Sun Dog

A parhelion or sun dog is a bright patch of light occurring on or near the 22° halo on the right and/or left of the Sun caused by the refraction...

Continue Reading
Posted by Lee Petersen | November 21, 2021
Newton’s First Law

Newton’s First Law of Motion can be summarized as: A body remains at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by a force. The first law is often called...

Continue Reading
aurora borealis over fairbanks alaska
Posted by Lee Petersen | September 27, 2020
What Causes the Aurora

A basic, yet comprehensive explanation of what causes the aurora. Tying together the solar wind, geomagnetic field, Van Allen belts, atomic energy states, and the electromagnetic spectrum.

Continue Reading
Posted by Lee Petersen | September 7, 2020
Plotting Simple Functions

The following are a few examples of how to create a simple plot in Matlab/Octave, Python3, and Julia. I made a similar look between all three programs, trying to keep...

Continue Reading
Ice Crystals in R-Channels
Posted by Lee Petersen | September 5, 2020
Ice Crystals in R-Channels

Photos and brief description of ice crystal growth in an R-channel, or Röthlisberger style subglacial channel in winter - Castner Glacier - Alaska Range

Continue Reading
Posted by Lee Petersen | August 6, 2020
Reflection of Light

The relation that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection combined with the observation that the normal direction, incident, and reflected rays lie in the same...

Continue Reading
Light Pillars
Posted by Lee Petersen | April 29, 2020
Light Pillars

A light pillar display over Fairbanks on a very cold January evening in Fairbanks, Alaska. This photo was taken from the University of Alaska near the Geophysical Institute. Typically the...

Continue Reading
First  30 seconds of the Falcon 9 after lift-off
Posted by Lee Petersen | January 7, 2020
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photos from the night launch viewed over the Indian River.

Continue Reading