 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 Heiligenschein and Anticrepuscular Rays

   December 29, 2021

    Raggi-crepuscolari-con-Helig

   Photographer:  Marco Meniero

   Summary Author:  Marco Meniero

   On the morning of October 07 2021, I photographed  anticrepuscular
   rays from the control tower of the airport at Viterbo, Italy. These
   rays, sometimes called antisolar rays, appear opposite of the Sun and
   converge at the antisolar point. So you must have your back to the Sun
   in order to see them.

   On both the top and bottom photos you can see a rather bright spot or
   patch of light (at the top of the shadow made by the control tower,
   where I'm standing with camera in hand) that follows me. When I looked
   to the right, the spot is seen on the right; when I looked to the left
   the spot was seen on the left. This spot is termed a
    Heiligenschein. It can be detected whenever dew drops form on
   various surfaces. The nearly spherical dew drops act as  lenses to
   focus the light onto the surface behind them. When this
   light  scatters or reflects off that surface, the same lens
   re-focuses that light into the direction from which it came. This
   configuration is sometimes called a  cat's eye retroreflector. Any
   retroreflective surface is brightest around the  antisolar point.
     * Viterbo, Italy Coordinates: 42.4207, 12.1077

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Atmospheric Effects Links

     *  Atmospheric Optics
     *  Optic Picture of Day: Gruppo Astrofili Galileo Galilei
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     *  The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
     *  Refraction Index
     *  Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
     *  What is a Rainbow?

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