Today's Image

Cloud shadow on nearby clouds

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March 13, 2017

Photo 1, taken March 7 by Helio C. Vital.

Helio C. Vital caught these photos from Saquarema, near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He wrote:

These photos show the shadow cast by the anvil of a distant cumulonimbus (positioned in front of the very low sun) onto a surrounding (apparently ring-shaped) cloud a few minutes before sunset. The cloud-shaped shadow gradually covered part of the bright ring (photos 1, above, and 2, below), eventually disrupting it (photos 3 and 4, below).

Also noticed in the images are crepuscular rays and much larger cloud shadows produced on a cloud formation in the foreground.

A Canon PowerShot SX60 HS camera was used for the shots, taken at 21:07-21:11 UTC.

Thank you, Helio!

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March 13, 2017

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Today's Image

Deborah Byrd

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Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.