Does this effect have a name? I'm specifically referencing the iridescent shapes to the lower left of the apple

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[–] 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 child)

It's called moiré, a form of interference pattern: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moir%C3%A9_pattern

Edit: not moirè, but rather a form of diffraction grating interference because of the minute differences in distance between the two surfaces.

It is also the why DVDs and CDs have rainbow reflections.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 months ago

    CDs and DVDs have rainbow reflections because the “parallel” (parallel on the scale of the wavelength of light) rows of pits create a diffraction grating.

    The rings in the picture are Newton’s Rings, as pointed out in comments. There are a different set of rings for each wavelength of light and since they don’t all line up you get this rainbow effect.

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