please explain this picture

[privard]

I'm looking at a very appealing photo of the April eclipse in the space.com image gallery, shot by Bren Harrison, and I just don't get it. To me, it looks like the reflection of the sun on the water is in the wrong place. Since I assume the photographer didn't photoshop the eclipse into the photo, I know I must be misunderstanding something. Because the water must be level and reasonably flat, the reflection of the sun in the water should be directly between the camera and the sun--the line from the sun to the reflection should point right at the camera. In this photo, it seems to be pointing somewhere to the left of the camera. I assume the odd lighting in the sky--it being lighter awayto the left of where the sun is--is an effect of the polarizing filters, although the reflection in the sea would fit if the sun were out of the frame, just above that light area. What am I missing?

 

[lewcos]

"what am I missing?"<br /><br />It's actually just a screenshot of Pacman - you are making it way too complicated <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[Leovinus]

This reminds me of the guy who looked at one Apollo 17 picture and concluded from it that the figure in it was an alien in an Apollo space suit. I told the guy that you really ought to ask the guys who were there.<br /><br />Similarly, in this picture it's tough to make out what we're looking at on the water. I'm sure if you were there, you'd know. There are people standing in the picture and it would be great to ask them what they saw. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jindivik]

i thought it might have been too high to make a reflectino on the water like that, & maybe the light in the water is because of a gap in the clouds there...look close & theres a cloud in front of the sun...but then its reflecting on the wall too on the same angle :/...hmm lol maybe he got a pretty picture of the sea, then stuck the sun on afterwards

 

[Saiph]

the odd placement might not be the light reflecting off center, but a portion of the reflected light being blocked.<br /><br />There are clouds in the sky, perhaps the right side of the reflection isn't there due to shadows from clouds. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"><br /></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">----</font></em></font><font color="#666699">SaiphMOD@gmail.com </font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">-------------------</font></em></font></p><p><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">"This is my Timey Wimey Detector.  Goes "bing" when there's stuff.  It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually.  I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- </font></em></font><font size="1" color="#999999">The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[a_lost_packet_]

<font color="yellow">Saiph - the odd placement might not be the light reflecting off center, but a portion of the reflected light being blocked. <br /><br />There are clouds in the sky, perhaps the right side of the reflection isn't there due to shadows from clouds. </font><br /><br />I agree. It appears that this could also be a storm system. Heavily laden clouds are partially blocking the light. The light in the far background could easily be lightning or partially reflected light from clouds which are far beyond the storm system.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[a_lost_packet_]

Btw, I don't see any water in the pic. It looks like the people are overlooking underlying terrain maybe?<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[kmarinas86]

Here's a brighter version. You can see a deck in this picture and where the coastline starts.

 

[kauboi]

You are all mistaken. The explanation is very simple: those "people" are really aliens and they just peed in the water. Everybody know alien pee shines.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

Tks Kmar.<br /><br />I can now see the boundary more clearly. The reflective area looks like maybe a bay or lake? Beyond, you can see the coast and rising hills perhaps.<br /><br />In the darker picture, I mistook the outline of the rising hills as darker clouds in the distance, viewed from an observation deck.<br /><br />I don't see anything really unusual. It looks like, perhaps, the clouds had obscured some of the direct light. In the "weirdness" that is an eclipse, I wouldn't expect alot of ambient light to illuminate the entire surface of the water. So, things appear in sharper contrast to each other. I don't understand what appears to be unusual. Then again, maybe I am missing something that is obvious to others.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[heyscottie]

Another explanation involves the wind. If there was a wind blowing from left to right and somewhat toward the observer, then waves would be kicked up moving in that direction. These would not necessarily be visible in the photo. They would also give a reflective surface that would reflect to the camera from that region of the lake.<br /><br />Scott