Anticrepuscular Rays Viewed from Volcan Acatenango

June 29, 2015

Anticrep_volcan

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Photographer: Diego Fabriccio Díaz Palomo
Summary Authors: Diego Fabriccio Díaz Palomo; Jim Foster
June 2015 Viewer's Choice
The stunning anticrepuscular rays shown above were observed from near the summit of Volcan Acatenango, at approximately 13,000 ft (3,962 m). These rays streamed across the sky, converging at the antisolar point, as a result of a turret-shaped cloud that formed over the opposite (western) horizon -- panorama at bottom. This towering cloud effectively blocked the Sun, producing the alternating lanes of shadow, where sunlight was obscured, and light, where sunlight streamed through gaps in the cloud. Perspective makes the rays seem to converge. Note that the volcano in the background at far right is Volcan Agua. Photo and panorama taken on November 15, 2014.