Today's Image

Cloud shadow over Las Vegas

Cloud shadow over Las Vegas by Bettina Berg.

What you see here is the shadow of a cloud, captured over Las Vegas, Nevada, by Bettina Berg on October 1, 2018. The great sky optics expert Les Cowley – of the website Atmospheric Optics – calls them the inverse of crepuscular rays and notes they can produce dramatic effects. I asked Les about Bettina’s photo, and he wrote:

A remarkable sight.

There is a combination of (1) a low sun, (2) a widespread layer of high cloud and (3) a towering cumulus that just breaks through the cloud layer. The cumulus top is casting its shadow down onto, or along, the cloud layer making the latter dark.

Check Les’ website for a diagram that explains more about cloud shadows here.

A wider view of the cloud shadow over Las Vegas by Bettina Berg.

Bottom line: Cloud shadow over Las Vegas on October 1, 2018.

More photos: Cloud to cloud shadow over China

Cloud shadow mystery … solved?

Posted 
October 6, 2018
 in 
Today's Image

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Deborah Byrd

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