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Does this effect have a name? I'm specifically referencing the iridescent shapes to the lower left of the apple

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[-] adam_y@lemmy.world 90 points 6 days ago

It's not moire...

These are Newtons rings, a different type of optical interference pattern.

It occurs when two transparent sources reflect light in contact.

You get it frequently when trying to scan transparencies using a flatbed scanner too.

Here: Newtons Rings Wikipedia

[-] FUCKING_CUNO@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 6 days ago

I think youre bang on with the Newtons Rings, thanks!

[-] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 9 points 6 days ago

Amusing that this too involves an apple.

[-] thenextguy@sh.itjust.works 13 points 6 days ago

When a grid's misaligned with another behinnd, that's a moiré

[-] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 11 points 6 days ago

Incorrect, but I'm giving you the upvote for the lyrical answer

[-] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 5 points 6 days ago

Moire patterns do not cause a prism effect with light.

[-] prex@aussie.zone 11 points 6 days ago

Not a direct answer to your question but the same effect can be used to measure extremely flat objects. Its a pretty cool rabbit hole.

[-] Lauchmelder@feddit.org 8 points 6 days ago

thin film interference

[-] JayleneSlide@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

It's called ~~moiré~~, a form of interference pattern: ~~https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moir%C3%A9_pattern~~

Edit: not moirè, but rather a form of diffraction grating interference because of the minute differences in distance between the two surfaces.

It is also the why DVDs and CDs have rainbow reflections.

[-] sunnie@slrpnk.net 11 points 6 days ago

CDs and DVDs have rainbow reflections because the “parallel” (parallel on the scale of the wavelength of light) rows of pits create a diffraction grating.

The rings in the picture are Newton’s Rings, as pointed out in comments. There are a different set of rings for each wavelength of light and since they don’t all line up you get this rainbow effect.

[-] wioum@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

A swole apple with a yoyo.

[-] ndupont@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 5 days ago

My first guess would be Fresnel diffraction, I guess because of the pattern

[-] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 days ago

I wonder if it's a polarization effect. Look at it with polarized sunglasses on.

[-] itchick2014@midwest.social 0 points 6 days ago
[-] Kolanaki@pawb.social -4 points 6 days ago

Pretty sure it's the prism effect.

this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2026
70 points (94.9% liked)

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