Article
Article
Ghost image (optics)
Article By:
Peterson, Gary L. Breault Research Organization, Tucson, Arizona.
Last reviewed:June 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.288600
A feature or shape at the focal plane of a camera or other optical instrument that is not present in an actual scene, or an unfocused duplicate image that is overlaid upon a desired image. Ghost images, or ghosts, are caused by reflections from the surfaces of lenses or windows. Each glass surface divides incoming light into two parts: a refracted part that passes through the surface, and a reflected part that is turned back. If the reflected light is turned back again by reflection from another glass surface or a mirror, it may travel to the focal plane to form a ghost image. Ghost images may appear as an out-of-focus blur or smudge, a sharp circle or polygon with the shape of the camera iris or other aperture, or a false image of an object within a scene. See also: Reflection of electromagnetic radiation
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