Brocken Spectre: What is this spooky shadow seen recently in the UK?
Halloween draws near, so it was quite fitting for a photographer in England to come across a very rare phenomenon through the mist of a mountainside - the Brocken Spectre. Is it as ghostly as it sounds?
Chris Atkinson is a photographer in East Yorkshire who normally photographs wildlife, but recently captured a spooky shadow of rainbow spectrum colours while seeking out seabirds to snap.
He saw the circular shadow and halo of rainbow light in the mist which made a unique photography opportunity. He normally works at Hull Prison, according to BBC, but he said when he saw this phenomena it was “very unusual”.
He did not realise it was his own shadow, until he shifted his position. There was a strong reaction to his photograph online from his social media network as well as the RSPB Bempton Cliffs page on Facebook.
Take a look at this incredible photograph captured by a visitor! This rare phenomenon is called a Brocken Spectre!
— RSPB Bempton Cliffs (@Bempton_Cliffs) October 25, 2024
It occurs when the sun shining behind the observer projects their shadow through the mist!
Chris Atkinson pic.twitter.com/jFxzaiGEZA
Its spooky demeanour shown in the image above is quite fitting for this time of year as Halloween draws near but i might also be the current autumn weather conditions that favoured its development at high elevation.
What is the Brocken Spectre?
Weather conditions have to be fine tuned just right to get this kind of sighting. It is a matter of luck to have such a sight. The phenomenon can occur when somebody’s shadow hits over a hill that is shrouded in mist. The way light moves through makes the shadow amplified and wavelengths of light split like a rainbow in the reflections of the vapour of the mist. This is through diffraction and interference of light waves passing through the mist, creating optical effects and illusions.
Similar processes can be seen with the moon bow, or other examples of diffraction. With a moon bow, rainbow halo may surround a full moon where reflections from crystals in the atmosphere from the moonlight split into varying colours. This would be another interesting, but more common to find sight, especially as winter approaches and temperatures dip.
Atmospheric Optics explained its key ingredients “for its manifestation are a low sun angle, mist or fog, and a suitable vantage point from which to observe the spectacle.”
What is behind the name and the illusion
The ethereal sight from the Brocken Spectre comes from the name of the highest peak of Germany’s Harz Mountains - the Brocken, where the phenomena was originally sighted. The shimmering rings around the shadow are called “glory”.
The rare sight has not only been witnessed in Germany but the Scottish Highlands and other mountainous regions of the world, including the Himalayas. However, with this recent news, this was the first time the Brocken spectre has been seen at the nature reserve of RSPB Bempton Cliffs.
The ethereal optical phenomena reminds us about the hidden complexity of Earth’s atmosphere, and the wonders of hiking that can be witnessed during the right conditions and weather patterns in nature. Nature’s wonders are hiding in these rare, nearly magical forms.