Light and Shadow in the Sky

Astronomical phenomena

• Stars and constellations: Fixed points of light forming recognizable patterns.
• Planets: Visible like stars but with a glow that doesn't flicker, often brighter.
• Milky Way: Band of light crossing the sky, made up of billions of distant stars.
• Galaxies and nebulae: Visible to the naked eye under very good conditions or with a telescope, appearing as small luminous clouds.
• Meteors and meteor showers (shooting stars): Streaks of light created by debris entering the Earth's atmosphere.
• Comets : Visible with the naked eye or binoculars, characterized by their shiny hair and sometimes a tail.

Atmospheric phenomena

• Aurora (Boreal and Austral): Colored lights dancing in the sky, caused by the interaction between solar particles and the Earth's magnetic field.
• Rainbows: Spectra of light formed by the refraction, reflection and dispersion of light through water droplets.
• Halos, arcs and pillars of light: Luminous circles or pillars of light appearing around the Sun or Moon, caused by the refraction of light through ice crystals in the atmosphere.
• Lightning: sudden, bright electrical discharges during thunderstorms.

Phenomena related to artificial objects

• Satellites: Points of light moving regularly across the sky, including the International Space Station (ISS), which is particularly visible.
• City lights and light pollution: Although technically not a natural phenomenon, light emanating from urban areas can illuminate the night sky, reducing the visibility of stars.

Occasional events

• Solar and lunar eclipses: Rare occasions when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, or when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow that partially or totally blocks the sunlight.
• Transits and occultations: Moments when one celestial object passes in front of another, such as a transit of Venus in front of the Sun or an occultation of a star by the Moon.

Further Information

• LiveScience: 10 Bizarre Phenomena that lit up the Sky
• Wikipedia: Atmospheric Optical Phenomena
• Sky & Telescope
• Travel Earth: 15 Spectacular Natural Phenomena in The Sky
• Astronomical Object