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Credit & Copyright: Kurt Voigts
Explanation:
What could cause such rays of dark?
Dark sky rays were caught in spectacular fashion earlier last month from
Pentwater,
Michigan,
USA, looking west over
Lake Michigan.
The cause is something surprisingly familiar:
shadows.
Clouds near the horizon can
block sunlight from reflecting off air, making columns outward from the
Sun appear
unusually dark.
Cloud shadows can be thought
of as the complement of the more commonly highlighted
crepuscular rays, also visible above, where
sunlight pours though cloud holes.
Sometimes, on the opposite side of the sky,
anticrepuscular rays
can also be seen.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: crepuscular rays
Publications with words: crepuscular rays
See also: