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The time: December 22, 2015, 10:48 am. The setting: Intersection of Pennsylvania Ave. and 18th Street NW, Washington, DC.
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In the wake of a light rain shower, two spots of colorful efflorescence appear on the surface of the asphalt.
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Are these not astronomical images, the one suggesting a spiral galaxy and the other an eclipsed star?
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More about oil blooms on wet streets, here. The phenomenon–known in physics as oil film interference–is exhaustively explained here. Check out this brilliant Instagram shot of what looks like a furry jellyfish floating through space.
For a previous post of mine discussing another instance when mother nature displays her art on man’s concrete, click here.
