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Huygens' Principle is the idea that a plane wave traveling through a slit will expand outwards after passing through a slit.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/phyopt/huygen.html

I was looking at a photo recently of a forest where rays of light are coming through the leaves (Here is an example of a similar photo)

https://depositphotos.com/193020512/stock-photo-fresh-green-foliage-with-the.html

Are these rays of light around the opening in the tree line actually an example of the wavelets described by Huygens' Principle? Or is something else at play?

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No, the rays are not a diffraction effect. They are either due to scattering st the lens surface, or due to scatter from light rays passing through a slight fog between the camera and the trees. Probably they are due to lens scatter. If rotating the camera and shooting the same scene results in the rays rotating to a different angle, it's lens scatter.

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