Re: [ATM] Can you see a laser beam where it strikes a polishedsurface?

["Bob May" <bobmay@nethere.com>]

Remember that about 4% of the light that impinges on a clean glass surface
is reflected off of that surface.  As a result, you will indeed see the spot
of a laser on the glass surface and, when you get to the right angle, 4% of
that light of the beam will reflect back to your eye.
What you are really looking for is a reflection off of the surface in one
little spot that doesn't move and can't be wiped off of the surface (dirt
will tend to also look the same as a pit but can be removed from the
surface) and that will be a pit on the surface of the glass.  The spot,
being so small, will tend to be a specular source of light rather than a
real spot visible to the eye as such.
CeO tends to make a somewhat microscopically rougher surface than rouge so
the light will tend to be brighter off-axis of the beam than with the rouge.
Bob May
bobmay@nethere.com
http://nav.to/bobmay
http://bobmay.astronomy.net

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