Sunlight Through Water Bubbles; Objects Smaller Than the Pupil

Figure of the sun's rays through water, with:

sun

The sun's ray, having passed through the bubbles of the water's surface, casts upon the bottom of that water an image of that bubble which has the shape of a cross. I have not yet investigated the cause, but I judge it to be on account of other small bubbles that are joined around that larger bubble.

Two figures of larger and smaller bubbles.

If the object interposed between the field of view and the eye is smaller than the pupil of that eye, no part of the field will be occupied by such an object.

A very small object before the eye, with:

e n o p - r q - a b c d

Let e p be the light of the eye, and q the image interposed between the field a d and the eye. I say that such an object will occupy no part of the field.

Analogous figure, with:

a b s

I say that if the object b were to send its likeness to the point a, no part of the field d s could be seen by that eye, because here the object smaller than the pupil occupies the whole field at the point a.

Figura di raggi solari attraverso l'acqua, con:

Due figure di sonagli maggiori e minori.

Oggetto piccolissimo davanti all'occhio, con:

Figura analoga, con:

Figure of the sun's rays through water, with:

Two figures of larger and smaller bubbles.

A very small object before the eye, with:

Analogous figure, with:

Sunlight Through Water Bubbles; Objects Smaller Than the Pupil

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A sun ray through a water bubble casts a cross-shaped image

An object smaller than the pupil hides no part of the field