Knowledge (XXG)

Snell's window

Source 📝

20: 71: 81: 254: 19: 100:). Refraction is very sensitive to any irregularities in the flatness of the surface (such as ripples or waves), which will cause local distortions or complete disintegration of the image. 88:
Under ideal conditions, an observer looking up at the water surface from underneath sees a perfectly circular image of the entire above-water hemisphere—from horizon to horizon. Due to
96:. The brightness of this image falls off to nothing at the circumference/horizon because more of the incident light at low grazing angles is reflected rather than refracted (see 57:
Underwater photographers sometimes compose photographs from below such that their subjects fall inside Snell's window, which backlights and focuses attention on the subjects.
92:
at the air/water boundary, Snell's window compresses a 180° angle of view above water to a 97° angle of view below water, similar to the effect of a
84:
The edge of Snell's window, in this case the boundary between reflected bottom (teal) and refracted sky and above-water structures (blue and gray)
295: 194: 167: 137: 184: 157: 324: 42:
sees everything above the surface through a cone of light of width of about 96 degrees. This phenomenon is caused by
288: 51: 50:. The area outside Snell's window will either be completely dark or show a reflection of underwater objects by 314: 281: 217: 237: 190: 163: 133: 97: 39: 265: 319: 211: 47: 80: 308: 126: 70: 93: 242: 89: 43: 101: 253: 261: 104:
in the water will veil the image behind a cloud of scattered light.
79: 18: 23:
A diver viewed from below who appears inside of Snell's window.
269: 125: 238:Explanation of the physics behind Snell's window 156:David K. Lynch and William Livingstone (2001). 289: 243:Under-water photograph showing Snell's window 8: 46:of light entering water, and is governed by 296: 282: 162:. Cambridge University Press. p. 79. 222:circle-of-light water critical-angle 180. 16:Underwater phenomenon due to Snell's Law 116: 7: 250: 248: 183:Martin Edge and Ian Turner (1999). 268:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by 14: 216:. The Macmillan Company. p.  252: 69: 38:) is a phenomenon by which an 1: 210:Robert Williams Wood (1914). 186:The Underwater Photographer 341: 247: 159:Color and Light in Nature 52:total internal reflection 264:-related article is a 85: 24: 83: 22: 124:Dave Hughes (1990). 132:. Stackpole Books. 325:Geometrical optics 86: 25: 277: 276: 128:Tactics for Trout 98:Fresnel equations 40:underwater viewer 332: 298: 291: 284: 256: 249: 225: 224: 207: 201: 200: 180: 174: 173: 153: 147: 146: 131: 121: 73: 36:optical man-hole 340: 339: 335: 334: 333: 331: 330: 329: 305: 304: 303: 302: 234: 229: 228: 213:Physical Optics 209: 208: 204: 197: 189:. Focal Press. 182: 181: 177: 170: 155: 154: 150: 144:Snell's circle. 140: 123: 122: 118: 113: 107: 78: 77: 76: 75: 74: 63: 61:Image formation 17: 12: 11: 5: 338: 336: 328: 327: 322: 317: 307: 306: 301: 300: 293: 286: 278: 275: 274: 257: 246: 245: 240: 233: 232:External links 230: 227: 226: 202: 195: 175: 168: 148: 138: 115: 114: 112: 109: 68: 67: 66: 65: 64: 62: 59: 32:Snell's circle 28:Snell's window 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 337: 326: 323: 321: 318: 316: 313: 312: 310: 299: 294: 292: 287: 285: 280: 279: 273: 271: 267: 263: 258: 255: 251: 244: 241: 239: 236: 235: 231: 223: 219: 215: 214: 206: 203: 198: 196:0-240-51581-1 192: 188: 187: 179: 176: 171: 169:0-521-77504-3 165: 161: 160: 152: 149: 145: 141: 139:0-8117-2403-4 135: 130: 129: 120: 117: 110: 108: 105: 103: 99: 95: 91: 82: 72: 60: 58: 55: 53: 49: 45: 41: 37: 33: 30:(also called 29: 21: 315:Optics stubs 270:expanding it 259: 221: 212: 205: 185: 178: 158: 151: 143: 127: 119: 106: 94:fisheye lens 87: 56: 35: 31: 27: 26: 48:Snell's Law 309:Categories 111:References 90:refraction 44:refraction 102:Turbidity 262:optics 193:  166:  136:  320:Water 260:This 266:stub 191:ISBN 164:ISBN 134:ISBN 34:or 311:: 220:. 218:66 142:. 54:. 297:e 290:t 283:v 272:. 199:. 172:.

Index


underwater viewer
refraction
Snell's Law
total internal reflection
Image one: light coming up from the water at a steep angle passes through, bent outwards away from the vertical. Image two:light hitting the surface at the critical angle is bent to pass along the water's surface. Image three

refraction
fisheye lens
Fresnel equations
Turbidity
Tactics for Trout
ISBN
0-8117-2403-4
Color and Light in Nature
ISBN
0-521-77504-3
The Underwater Photographer
ISBN
0-240-51581-1
Physical Optics
66
Explanation of the physics behind Snell's window
Under-water photograph showing Snell's window
Stub icon
optics
stub
expanding it
v
t

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.