Glory & Brocken Spectre Shadow imaged by John Saunders near Maungahuka Peak, Tararua Range, New Zealand on 25th April '08. ©John Saunders, shown with permission.
    
Multiringed glories directly opposite the sun are formed when the sun rays break through thin mist. Tiny mist droplets diffract the light and some is directed straight back sunwards.

That is all very well, but there is no simple explanation of just how this happens. Mie-Lorentz scattering theory derived without approximation from electromagnetic theory predicts glories excellently. You can do so yourself with IRIS. But that remains somehow unsatisfying because the 'how' is missing.

The Brocken Spectre, is altogether more simple. It is the long shadow of the photographer projecting tunnel-like through the mist. 

Glory Gallery