Crepuscular Sunset

Photographer: Greg Parker, New Forest Observatory
Summary Author: Greg Parker, Jim Foster

The photo above shows crepuscular rays fanning out across the western horizon, a little before sunset on this midwinter’s day in Hampshire, U.K. Though these rays are actually parallel, when viewed in perspective, like when looking down railroad tracks, they diverge away from the Sun. In this case, the rays result from the gaps in the cumulostratus clouds in front of the solar disk that allow sunbeams to sneak through.

Photo details: Canon 40D camera; 28-200 mm zoom lens at 28mm; ISO 100; 3-frame mosaic using automatic program settings.