Specular reflection is the mirror-like reflection of light (or of other kinds of wave) from a surface, in which light from a single incoming direction (a ray) is reflected into a single outgoing direction. Such behavior is described by the law of reflection, which states that the direction of incoming light (the incident ray), and the direction of outgoing light reflected (the reflected ray) make the same angle with respect to the surface normal, thus the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection ( in the figure), and that the incident, normal, and reflected directions are coplanar. This behavior was first discovered through careful observation and measurement by Hero of Alexandria (AD c. 10–70).
Explanation
Specular reflection is distinct from diffuse reflection, where incoming light is reflected in a broad range of directions. An example of the distinction between specular and diffuse reflection would be glossy and mattepaints. Matte paints have almost exclusively diffuse reflection, while glossy paints have both specular and diffuse reflection. A surface built from a non-absorbing powder, such as plaster, can be a nearly perfect diffuser, whereas polished metallic objects can specularly reflect light very efficiently. The reflecting material of mirrors is usually aluminum or silver.
The scientists conducted their analysis by comparing the performance of the FSLSCs with those of specular mirrors and diffuse reflectors for light reflection.
Burnett...Image ... Gadgets ... Auto ... By essentially roughing up the screen with an invisible texture layer, the screen’s surface scatters light rather than reflecting it directly back at your eye in a singular direction (known as specular reflections) ... ... .
Specular reflectivity has been adjusted throughout Half-Life 2 to better match the original release ... Replaced instances of simple reflective water with fully reflective water in nearly every map.
Most Ray Tracing settings are on Medium, though BVHQuality (which affected the geometry quality), Raytraced Diffuse Reflections (and their resolution), and Raytraced Specular Reflections, were set to High.
Drop down from max and the roughness cut-off on reflections along with specular elements in general are savagely pared back ... Low RT settings in water have a poor fallback to cube-mapped reflections that actually look worse than the non-RT option.
Sonwalkar and Reddy's discovery is a type of whistler wave they call a "specularly reflected whistler." ... Review of plasma wave data from the Van Allen Probes showed that specularly reflected whistlers are a common magnetospheric phenomenon.
... better reflect the reality of buying the RTX 4090 in 2024 ... The shadows are much sharper, the reflections have specular highlights, and the scene has a much softer gradient between light and dark areas.
This was done while the sample was still inside its glovebox, which is highly reflective for this purpose ... They’re generally dark, but some faces have a metallic lustre and specular reflections.
“Laser exposure is most hazardous when a direct laser beam, or its specular (mirrorlike) reflection, enters the pupil along the axis of vision when the eye is focused on a distant object,” the FAA writes.
"We might also be able to recognize global-scale surface features, including light interaction with photosynthetic pigments and 'glint' arising from specular reflection of light by a liquid ocean.".
Fiorenzo Bernasconi's latest album, "Intersezioni," (Musica Presente Records) showcases a unique fusion of poetry and music, transcending traditional artistic boundaries through his Specular Intersectionism method.
... reflective surface ... "The specular reflection our instruments recorded of the lake suggests parts of Io’s surface are as smooth as glass, reminiscent of volcanically created obsidian glass on Earth."
Jupiter's Io moon has active volcanoes. — X/@Kilauea50 ... The specular reflection our instruments recorded of the lake suggests parts of Io’s surface are as smooth as glass, reminiscent of volcanically created obsidian glass on Earth," he added ... .
“The specular reflection our instruments recorded of the lake suggests parts of Io’s surface are as smooth as glass, reminiscent of volcanically created obsidian glass on Earth.” Bolton announced the ...
in the figure), and that the incident, normal, and reflected directions are 