Gorgeous Photos of Crepuscular Rays

Gorgeous Photos of Crepuscular Rays

Crepuscular rays,  in atmospheric optics, are rays of sunlight that appear to radiate from a single point in the sky, specifically, where the sun is.  These rays have long since been associated with the majesty and beauty of heaven. And as we stare at these golden shoots of light, it's easy to imagine them coming from some outworldly source.

These rays, which stream through gaps in clouds (particularly stratocumulus) or between other objects, are columns of sunlit air separated by darker cloud-shadowed regions.

They often occur when objects such as mountain peaks or clouds partially shadow the sun's rays like a cloud cover.

Rays of light penetrating holes in low clouds. Beams of light diverging from behind a cloud. Pale, pinkish or reddish rays that radiate from below the horizon. These are often mistaken for light pillars.