the meanings of hiligenschein and eramacausis, please...?

Question

theses two knocked the two finalists of spelling competition of the U.S. , just curious and good to know.

Answer 1

Er`e`ma`cau´sis
n.1.A gradual oxidation from exposure to air and moisture, as in the decay of old trees or of dead animals.

Heiligenschein is a bright spot of light around the shadow of the observer's head, cast on dewy grass land.

Answer 2

Heiligenschein (German for "holy light" or "holy glory"[1]) is an optical phenomenon which creates a bright spot around the shadow of the viewer's head. It is created when the surface on which the shadow falls has special optical characteristics. Dewy grass is known to exhibit these characteristics, and create a Heiligenschein. Nearly spherical dew droplets act as lenses to focus the light on the surface beneath them. Some of this light 'backscatters' in the direction of the sunlight as it passes back through the dew droplet. This makes the antisolar point appear the brightest.

The opposition effect enhances this halo effect by creating a bright spot of light around the viewer's head when the viewer is looking in the opposite direction of the sun. When viewing the Heiligenschein, there are no coloured rings around the shadow of the observer, as in the case of a glory.

In German, Heiligenschein is only used in religious context, like nimbus or gloreole.
(eremacausis)

(n.) A gradual oxidation from exposure to air and moisture, as in the decay of old trees or of dead animals.