EPOD 20th - Anticrepuscular Rays Observed Over Miami Beach, Florida
September 14, 2020
We’re celebrating 20 years of Earth Science Picture of the Day during the month of September! Today’s photo features a popular EPOD from the past. Thanks to all of our followers (on the blog, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) for supporting us. Thanks also to all of you who’ve submitted your photos. We’re most appreciative. This EPOD was originally published December 31, 2019.
Photographer: Kyriaki
Summary Authors: Kyriaki; Jim Foster
The panoramic view above, composed of 4 photos, shows a breathtaking set of anticrepuscular rays as observed just before sunset at Miami Beach, Florida, on November 1, 2019. The camera is facing east northeast. Note the cumulonimbus cloud at the far left. Sunlight streaming through the turrets of clouds like this, where the Sun is setting (opposite of where the camera is facing), may result in rays that stretch all the way across the sky. However, a small amount of dust or haze must be present in the atmosphere for the rays to be seen. Perspective makes them appear to converge in the distance. The diagram below, courtesy of Dave Lynch, illustrates how crepuscular and anticrepuscular rays are viewed.
[8/20]