August 11, 2010
The universe does not repeat itself. Every sunrise is unique, every snowflake singular, and every birthday yours alone.
Crepuscular Rays Over Lake Michigan
Birthday · August 11, 2010
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APOD published August 11, 2010. Credit: Kurt Voigts. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
What could cause such rays of dark? Dark sky rays were caught in spectacular fashion earlier last month from Pentwater, Michigan, USA, looking west over Lake Michigan. The cause is something surprisingly familiar: shadows. Clouds near the horizon can block sunlight from reflecting off air, making columns outward from the Sun appear unusually dark. Cloud shadows can be thought of as the complement of the more commonly highlighted crepuscular rays, also visible above, where sunlight pours though cloud holes. Sometimes, on the opposite side of the sky, anticrepuscular rays can also be seen.
Image credit: Kurt Voigts