The Field Guide to Natural Wonders is an engaging and beautifully presented guide to nature's most theatrical and mysterious events. From optical phenomena, such as rainbows and light pillars, to celestial phenomena like eclipses and the aurora borealis, it explores a wide range of natural wonders, describing each one in detail and explaining the science behind them in simple, nontechnical terms. But natural phenomena are more than just scientific curiosities. Whether harbingers of doom or auspicious portents, they were seen by the people who witnessed them as powerful and significant signs. As a result, they influenced many historical events and became inextricably linked with folklore and mythology. The Field Guide to Natural Wonders weaves a vivid portrait of all of these fascinating and unexpected tales.