New formula explains skylight polarization

BRISTOL, England, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- British scientists have developed a mathematical formula that explains the way skylight behaves, something that has been elusive for 200 years.

Using a type of mathematics known as elliptic integrals, scientists from the University of Bristol and the U.S. Naval Academy developed a simple formula that correctly predicts the patterns of polarization of skylight.

The simple formula, which appears in Tuesday's New Journal of Physics, yields predictions that fit with experimental observations. It replaces the old formula, which consisted of "pages and pages," said Michael Berry of the University of Bristol.

Sunlight has long been known to be polarized or consist of light that vibrates differently in different directions. The effect creates unique patterns in the sky used by some birds and insects as navigation aids.

However, there are two points near the sun known as singularities where the light is not polarized. The previous mathematical formula to explain polarization struggled to factor in these singularities, but the U.K. and U.S. researchers found that by basing their formula on the singularities they came up with an explanation that more closely matched observable data.