Can you match wits with an MIT Physics Professor?

[BaseRSX]

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0408/ring_lewin_big.jpg
What caused this ring of colors? At the time of this writing, MIT Physics Professor Walter Lewin had yet to find someone who can give the correct explanation. Not students. Not colleagues. Not APOD editors. He wonders how the astute readers of APOD will do. Can you match wits with Professor Lewin? Lewin took the above picture in a construction area in Massachusetts on June 20. Your answer should be able to explain the color sequence and the bright area in the center. Shortly after he gives the explanation on December 7 during a lecture in his course Vibrations and Waves at MIT, APOD will carry a link to it. A discussion page for this image will be held in the APOD Forum on the Asterisk*. Additionally, Professor Lewin will answer appropriate e-mail questions and guesses sent to [email protected].


Source - http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

[BaseRSX]

Hmmm. Since its in a "construction zone” I would guess that he is taking the picture below falling wood saw-dust or fiberglass saw-dust. Maybe I will send mine in.

[cho_888]

photoshop lol, that seems to be the answer to every picture :D :D

[sameerrao]

photoshop lol, that seems to be the answer to every picture :D :D

Priceless! good one

[nthfinity]

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0408/ring_lewin_big.jpg

there is quite a problem with this picture...
the waves of his shaddow arent at all consistant with the changes in waves before/after entering the light

the light source appears to be both behind him, and on top of him, yet being only consistant with being behind him.

during broad daylight, the shadows from such a figure would almost disappear, so if it is quite real, then it isnt a day shot.

this leads me to believe this is a night shot, but likely to have a fast exposure time. i base this on the caractaristics of the shaddow. the edges arent perfectly sharp, in tune with a flash photographic nature. also, the edges arent perfectly crips either. there was only 1 light source, and it was significantly further away from the subject capturing it.

being a night shot, wiht such a bright light in a focused area, i am lead to believe this could be a hanging light... perhaps the white light emmited by a metal-halide bulb, focused by the curved glass from which it resides in.

this could be a likely canidate for only one shaddow, yet 2 forms of light.

the rainbow of rings surrounding is likely to be caused by the wider angles of the refraction from the housing of the light source. notice it is a full specturum, which leads me to further believe it is a 'white light' source, aformentioned above.

is this really unusual, or special use for a construction site? no... however, construction sites which operate on 24 hours have the abilities to produce great ammounts of white light; to the nature of a stadium.

i wouldnt doubt this could be accurate :P
perhaps vanquish can verify, or debunk?

[saadie]

its IMO interference of light ..... theres a pritty big object illuminated at the back of the person taking a picture ... when he snaps ... his flash lits ... the flash interfeares with the light sorce at the back and WALA ..... the exposure time is very less because of the bright light at the back ....

http://img48.exs.cx/img48/7467/img33.jpg


and btw ... why would someone take pictures of a construction site ... i mean . like .... look at it .... :?

[BaseRSX]

Haha the dude already replyied to my e-mail asking me to explain my answer better. Maybe I am close? Here is what I wrote back -

"Well, I know that on very cold, clear nights you see similar color rings around the full moon. I was told that those rings are caused by ice crystal particles in the air. So my guess was that there was some other air-born particle causing this. Like ice crystals."

[possessed_beaver]

Haha the dude already replyied to my e-mail asking me to explain my answer better. Maybe I am close? Here is what I wrote back -

"Well, I know that on very cold, clear nights you see similar color rings around the full moon. I was told that those rings are caused by ice crystal particles in the air. So my guess was that there was some other air-born particle causing this. Like ice crystals."

HAHA thats crazy man, keep us posted with updates!

as for my answer.. ummm can i phone a friend?

[dingo]

...and I want 50-50, and would also like to ask the audience.

[bmagni]

it can be lots of things combined... maybe some oil in the pavement, and light issues... i dont know...

[number77]

I bet he took a picture of a giant piece of glass. Do i get a scholarship for my answer?