 Crepuscular rays at sunset Crepuscular rays, in atmospheric optics, also known as sun rays or God's rays, are rays of sunlight that appear to radiate from a single point in the sky. These rays, which stream through gaps in clouds, are diverging columns of sunlit air separated by darker cloud-shadowed regions. The name comes from their frequent occurrences during twilight, when the contrasts between light and dark are the most obvious. Various airborne compounds scatter the sunlight and make these rays visible. The reason we see the light so defined is because of diffraction, reflection and scattering. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 515 pixelsFull resolution (1536 × 989 pixel, file size: 658 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
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Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1212x750, 396 KB) Behind the cloud style crepuscular rays, taken in my neighborhood. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1212x750, 396 KB) Behind the cloud style crepuscular rays, taken in my neighborhood. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1583x1031, 197 KB) Image information Crepuscular Ray sunset - Telstra Tower, Canberra File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1583x1031, 197 KB) Image information Crepuscular Ray sunset - Telstra Tower, Canberra File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Telstra Tower The Telstra Tower is a telecommunication tower that is situated above the summit of the “Black Mountain†in the Australian federal capital city of Canberra. ...
For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ...
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Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixels Full resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 436 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Photograped by by Mila Zinkova in San Francisco, California on June 4, 2005. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixels Full resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 436 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Photograped by by Mila Zinkova in San Francisco, California on June 4, 2005. ...
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Layers of Atmosphere - not to scale (NOAA)[3] Earths atmosphere is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth and retained by the Earths gravity. ...
For the book by Sir Isaac Newton, see Opticks. ...
In optics, a ray is an idealized narrow beam of light. ...
Prism splitting light High Resolution Solar Spectrum Sunlight in the broad sense is the total spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. ...
Cumulus mediocris clouds, as seen from a plane window. ...
The intensity pattern formed on a screen by diffraction from a square aperture Diffraction refers to various phenomena associated with wave propagation, such as the bending, spreading and interference of waves passing by an object or aperture that disrupts the wave. ...
Crepuscular rays are near-parallel, but appear to diverge because of linear perspective. They often occur when objects such as mountain peaks or clouds partially shadow the sun's rays like a cloud cover. Three main forms of crepuscular rays are: Linear perspective is the art of representing three-dimensional constructions on a two-dimensional surface. ...
Cloud cover is the amount of the sky obscured by clouds when observed at a particular location. ...
- Rays of light penetrating holes in low clouds (also called "Jacob's Ladder").
- Beams of light diverging from behind a cloud.
- Pale, pinkish or reddish rays that radiate from below the horizon. These are often mistaken for sun pillars.
The rays of the second and third types, in some cases, may extend across the sky and appear to converge at the antisolar point, which is the point on the sky sphere directly opposite the sun, and they are called anticrepuscular rays. Like crepuscular rays, they are parallel shafts of sunlight from holes in the clouds, and their apparently odd directions are a perspective effect. The angels climb Jacobs Ladder on the west front of Bath Abbey. ...
Horizon. ...
It has been suggested that Moon dog be merged into this article or section. ...
The antisolar point is the imaginary point on the celestial sphere exactly opposite the sun. ...
Anticrepuscular rays are similar to crepuscular rays, but seen opposite the sun in the sky. ...
Crepuscular and anticrepuscular rays behave in the same way. Crepuscular rays are usually red or yellow in appearance because the atmosphere acts as a giant lens, refracting low sunset rays into long curved paths passing through up to 40 times as much air than the rays from a high midday sun. Particles in the air scatter short wavelength blue and green rays much more strongly than longer wavelength yellow and red.
Crepuscular rays can also occasionally be viewed underwater, particularly in arctic areas appearing from ice shelfs or cracks in the ice.
Alternative names - Buddah's fingers
- hands of God (also. fingers of God, arms of God, touch of God)
- Jesus rays
- sun drawing water - from the ancient Greek belief that sunbeams drew water into the sky (an early description of evaporation)
- backstays of the sun - a nautical term, from the fact that backstays that brace the mast of a sailing ship converge in a similar way
- ropes of Maui - (originally. taura a Maui) from the Maori tale of Maui Potiki restraining the sun with ropes to make the days longer
This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...
For the Hawaiian island, named after the god Maui, see Maui. ...
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