Water Bottle illuminates partly hidden image

[Feather17]

At work, I have my plastic cheap blinds shut in the orientation of siding on a house. My office is only lit by a lamp. Outside is a sunny day. From my view, directly infront of the window, sitting down, facing north, around mid to late day is of vauge reminisce of clouds in the blue strips of light that gets throught the blinds.
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But when I hold my empty plastic water bottle up to my eye, I can see the clouds outside drastically better! I have pictures on my phone of this but don't know how to upload them on here. Anyways, does anyone know what's going on, and why this works?
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My observations are that:
1. the orieniation of the water bottle does not effect anything.
2. reversing the blinds the same effect is seen except down low at the cars in the lower half of the window where light gets through that reaches the eyes.
3. Water bottles have slight magnification it appears.
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I googled magnification some and I think that is where the answer is.

 

[Drakkith]

But when I hold my empty plastic water bottle up to my eye, I can see the clouds outside drastically better!

What does 'better' mean in this context? Brighter? Larger? Clearer?

 

[Feather17]

Your field of view is decreased. You are looking at a magnified portion of your original view. A magnifying glass would literally do the same thing

 

[Drakkith]

Sounds like good old magnification!

 

[Feather17]

Better as in improved quality, more information. I could claim the cloud looks like something where as before you cloud barely make a claim a cloud was there. It doesn't not appear larger or brighter to the naked eye just you can get more information.

Yes. Thanks for reply. I looked up how magnifying glass works. And I do think the Rays are less diverged and more parallel so the light from outside has more detail due to the eye not having to strain to focus.

 

[DaveC426913]

I wonder if you're getting a small aperature effect.

Are you near-sighted?

 

[Feather17]

Yes. But I took a photo of it and it show up great. Every body I told when I got home blew me off until I showed them the picture then they were like wow.

 

[mfb]

You could upload the photo here.