Rainbows are always seen in the direction opposite the sun, and of course so are anticrepuscular rays. These sun-rays are like the ones you sometimes see emanating from a cloud, or a sunset, but located on the side of the sky opposite the sun. Rainbows and anticrepuscular rays aren’t related, but – since both are seen on the side of the sky opposite a sunset or sunrise – it’s entirely possible to see them together. That was the case for Karl Diefenderfer in Quakertown, Pennsylvania on October 9, 2017, who said he caught them:
… as the remnants of hurricane Nate left southeastern Pennsylvania.
Deborah Byrd 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. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. 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.
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