British photographer Lee Howdle witnessed a rare optical phenomenon known as the “Brocken specter” while hiking in the mountains of the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire.
This phenomenon occurs when the Sun shines on a person standing on a ridge, casting their shadow in fog or clouds, which takes on bizarre shapes. The “Brocken specter” appears when a person, such as a mountaineer, looks down from the mountain peak, and their shadow, passing through the mist, is distorted by perspective.
A glowing, multicolored halo, called a “glory,” often forms around the shadow, caused by the diffraction of light as sunlight reflects off clouds made up of droplets of uniform size.
The phenomenon is named after the Brocken Peak in the Harz Mountains of Germany, where it was observed particularly often.
Many tourists, unaware of the scientific explanation behind the phenomenon, often believe the silhouette they see has a divine origin. Indeed, the shape could resemble an angel or a higher being.
What do you think? Is nature playing tricks on us, or is it a sign from above? Perhaps it’s a message that each of us carries something divine within.
