OSC Colloquium: Joe Shaw

This talk is about learning to see and understand optical phenomena in the world around you. Some optical phenomena go unnoticed simply because people are not aware of what to look for or when and where to look. The goal is for each person to leave this colloquium with a better understanding of natural optical phenomenon, along with the motivation and knowledge required to see them for themselves. I will begin with a brief introduction of how my time as a graduate student at the “Optical Sciences Center” profoundly influenced my career in designing and deploying optical remote sensing instruments to study the natural environment. Most of our time will be spent looking at and discussing photographs of optical phenomena in nature such as halos, glories, auroras, the green flash, and glitter patterns on water. We will see how ray tracing, diffraction, scattering, and atomic emission explain different elements of these phenomena. For example, ray tracing predicts a “blue flash” at sunset, but scattering turns it into a “green flash.” The presentation will have something for observers at all levels of optics understanding.

Joseph A. Shaw, Ph.D., is the director of the Optical Technology Center and Distinguished Professor at Montana State University. The center he directs has helped create dozens of companies in Montana who produce optical systems such as lasers, lidars, and hyperspectral imaging systems. He is an internationally recognized leader in developing optical instruments to study the natural Earth environment. Dr. Shaw loves combining nature photography with optical science and is the author of the photo-rich book, Optics in the Air. He earned Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in optical sciences from the University of Arizona, an M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Utah, and B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Recognition for Dr. Shaw’s contributions to optics research and education include the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the Vaisala Award from the World Meteorological Organization, and the G. G. Stokes Award from SPIE. He is a Fellow of SPIE and Optica and the Wyant College of Optical Sciences 2025 Alumnus of the Year.