View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Susan Kelley in Chatfield State Park, Colorado, took this image of the sunset, crepuscular and anticrepuscular rays and the Earth’s shadow on February 19, 2022. Susan wrote: “Saturday evening’s sunset (3-photo panorama) with crepuscular and anticrepuscular rays arcing over the sky. West (left side of image) sunset crepuscular rays appearing to converge on the sun. East (right side of image) much more dramatic anticrepuscular rays appearing to converge in the sky directly opposite the sun. Photo was taken from Chatfield State Park facing north toward Denver, Colorado.” Thank you, Susan!
We’ve all seen crepuscular rays, or sunrays, converging on the sun. They appear as pillars of sunlight, all meeting at a single point, streaming up from the horizon or down through gaps in clouds. Next time you see them … turn around. You may get a glimpse of the more elusive anticrepuscular rays.
Tips for seeing anticrepuscular rays
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Dennis Schoenfelder in Alamosa, Colorado, took this image on October 7, 2023, and wrote: “We were out walking our dog and just happened to see these anticrepuscular rays. We moved to a spot for a nice reflection.” Stunning! Thank you, Dennis.
To see anticrepuscular rays, you need to turn your back on the sunset. These rays appear to converge toward the antisolar point – that is, the point on the sky opposite the sun. If you want to see them, remember these three tips:
1. When you’re gazing at a beautiful sunset and see crepuscular rays, remember to look behind you to see if there are also anticrepuscular rays.
2. Look carefully, and wait a few minutes to see if they appear over time. Remember that anticrepuscular rays are generally fainter and more elusive than crepuscular rays.
3. You can see them at sunset, but you also can see them at sunrise. Just turn your back on the sun in either situation.
Like crepuscular rays, they are parallel shafts of sunlight from holes in the clouds, and their apparently odd directions are a perspective effect. Think of a long straight road; it converges toward the horizon, but turn around and it also converges to the opposite horizon. Crepuscular and anticrepuscular rays behave in the same way.
Anticrepuscular rays are not rare, but they must be sought carefully. When ordinary crepuscular rays are visible, turn around and search for their opposite numbers.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jo-Ann Hem Lee in the community of Trincity – in the Caribbean island country of Trinidad and Tobago – captured this image at sunrise on October 9, 2020.Jenney Disimon in Sabah, North Borneo, caught these anticrepuscular rays and a rising moon – and posted them to EarthSky Facebook – on June 4, 2015.Anticrepuscular rays – seen in the east at sunset – in Nevada. Shreenivasan Manievannan posted this photo on EarthSky Facebook in July 2014. Visit Shreeniclix Photography.Helio C. Vital caught these anticrepuscular rays from Saquarema, 50 miles (80 km) east of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
More photos
Scott Kuhn captured anticrepuscular rays as the moon was rising over Fort Mountain in northern Georgia.Laura Bavetz wrote: “I have seen anticrepuscular rays before, but this is the first time that I have been able to capture them.”Anticrepuscular rays by Guillaume “Astro GuiGeek” Doyen.
Bottom line: If you want to see anticrepuscular rays, look carefully opposite the direction of the sun. They are most often seen at sunrise or sunset.
Our Editor-in-Chief Deborah Byrd works to keep all the astronomy balls in the air between EarthSky's website, YouTube page and social media platforms. She's the primary editor of our popular daily newsletter and a frequent host of EarthSky livestreams. 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 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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