![](https://earthsky.org/upl/2017/03/cloud-shadow-helio-vital-3-7-2017-Rio-1-e1489347138101.jpg)
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!
![](https://earthsky.org/upl/2017/03/cloud-shadow-helio-vital-3-7-2017-Rio-2-e1489347148548.jpg)
![](https://earthsky.org/upl/2017/03/cloud-shadow-helio-vital-3-7-2017-Rio-3-e1489347158915.jpg)
![](https://earthsky.org/upl/2017/03/cloud-shadow-helio-vital-3-7-2017-Rio-4-e1489347167732.jpg)
Like what you read?
Subscribe and receive daily news delivered to your inbox.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
More from
Deborah Byrd
View All