Newton's rings

Newton's rings, optical phenomenon of interference created when light waves travel through a convex piece of glass placed on top of a flat piece of glass. The light reflected from each piece interferes with that reflected from the other, creating patterns of rings. Strong sunlight produces rings in every color of the spectrum. Light of a single color produces rings of that same color. The phenomenon was studied by 17th-century English scientist Sir Isaac Newton.

See also: Newton, Sir Isaac.