On a recent hike, I sat for a while to enjoy the quiet by a crystal-clear pond ringed by vibrant green pine trees. As I gazed at the bright bluebird sky, I noticed tiny dots racing in front of my eyes like no-see-ums flying above the water. As I relaxed my eyes and tried to see them more clearly, I noticed that the tiny dots were sparkling as they moved rapidly across my field of vision. The way the spots danced and glittered it’s no wonder they have been dubbed “blue-sky sprites” by those who have seen them.
Blue Field Entopic Phenomenon
While the dots I saw are real, they were neither no-see-ums, nor sprites, nor actually present in the sky. The sparkling dots I observed are what is known as blue field entopic phenomenon, which is a visual product of blue light entering the eye and passing through white blood cells in the capillaries in front of the retina. This YouTube video from Guillaume Riesen explains it well!
Have You Experienced Blue Field Entopic Phenomenon?
I guess this is just another reason why the bluebird day is a special phenomenon! Have you ever experienced the presence of “blue-sky sprites?” I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
