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Is it possible for holograms, as in 3D projections of light in midair, to exist? enter image description here

Consider this image. If a projector, placed in the same position as the gray circle in the first image, were to project some sort of light into the air, would it be able to form a three-dimensional image such as this bowl?

Qmechanic
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Curious Fish
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  • on what will the projector project? I alway found this to be an astonishingly real looking arial image: https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/parabolas – JEB Nov 29 '18 at 21:36

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If the question is about holograms per se, the answer is "no": The image displayed by a hologram is always between the observer and the hologram, or else the hologram is between the observer and the image (like a window).

But if the question is about the possibility of projecting a 3D image into mid-air without anything the observer must look through or against, then the answer is "yes". I know of one approach, which is to use a laser with sufficient power to ionize the air at a focal point, causing the air to glow. The focal point can be scanned to draw a 3D image. This kind of image is visible from all directions.

S. McGrew
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