10. Crepuscular Rays near India: Crepuscular rays near India are featured in this image was photographed by an Expedition 29 crew member on the International Space Station.
Atmospheric scientists refer to this phenomenon as “crepuscular rays”, referring to the typical observation times of either sunrise or sunset.
Shadowed areas bounding the rays are formed by obstructions in the solar (or lunar) illumination pathway such as clouds or mountain tops; however this alone is not sufficient to create the phenomenon.
The sun was setting to the west on the Indian subcontinent at the time the image was taken, and cumulonimbus cloud towers provide the shadowing obstructions.
The rays are being projected onto a layer of haze below the cloud towers.
The image clearly illustrates the true parallel nature of the crepuscular rays.
