Gegenschein is a faint diffuse glow of light that can sometimes be seen in the night sky, opposite the Sun. It is a rare and elusive phenomenon that is caused by the scattering of sunlight by small particles in the interplanetary medium. The particles responsible for the Gegenschein are thought to be micrometeoroids, or tiny dust particles, that are located in the plane of the solar system. When these particles are struck by sunlight, they scatter the light in all directions, creating a faint glow that can be seen from Earth. The Gegenschein is most easily seen in dark, clear skies, away from the glare of city lights. It appears as a faint, whitish patch of light, about 10 degrees in diameter, in the opposite direction to the Sun. It is best observed during the hours after midnight, when the Earth is facing away from the Sun. The term "Gegenschein" is German for "counter-glow," and was first used by the astronomer E. L. Trouvelot in 1880 to describe the phenomenon.
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