The diffraction spikes so familiar to us in space images are an intrinsic property of the telescope. Reflecting telescopes have two mirrors: a large primary and a smaller secondary. Light hits the ...

This page contains hints, solutions, and advanced challenges for our diffraction grating challenge. If you would like a grating (or a set for your class if you are a teacher), please contact us at ...

The (relatively) ancient art of crystallography has had a huge impact on modern science by showing us the location of atoms within a molecule. The structure of DNA (and how it acts as an information ...

A material that is capable of the “reverse diffraction” of light and that is inspired by butterfly wings has been made by researchers in the US. The structure combines features of the butterfly’s ...

Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Vol. 250, No. 1263 (Apr. 7, 1959), pp. 439-459 (21 pages) An intricate repetitive fringe pattern, due to the ...