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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Anticrepuscular Rays Over Wyoming
NASA ^ | February 21, 2012 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 02/21/2012 9:06:41 PM PST by SunkenCiv

Explanation: What's happening over the horizon? Although the scene may appear somehow supernatural, nothing more unusual is occurring than a setting Sun and some well placed clouds. Pictured above are anticrepuscular rays. To understand them, start by picturing common crepuscular rays that are seen any time that sunlight pours though scattered clouds. Now although sunlight indeed travels along straight lines, the projections of these lines onto the spherical sky are great circles. Therefore, the crepuscular rays from a setting (or rising) sun will appear to re-converge on the other side of the sky. At the anti-solar point 180 degrees around from the Sun, they are referred to as anticrepuscular rays. Pictured above is a particularly striking set of anticrepuscular rays photographed last month near Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA.

February 21, 2012

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; science; wyoming
[Credit & Copyright: Nate Cassell]

1 posted on 02/21/2012 9:06:45 PM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...

You know you have to look.

2 posted on 02/21/2012 9:08:21 PM PST by SunkenCiv (FReep this FReepathon!)
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To: SunkenCiv

Uh. Those straight lines are curved!


3 posted on 02/21/2012 9:09:13 PM PST by null and void (Day 1127 of America's ObamaVacation from reality [Heroes aren't made, Frank, they're cornered...])
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To: null and void

It might seem that lines diverging and then re-converging must be curved lines, but it’s a perspective view. Each is a straight line unless compared to any of the others. It’s due to our fish-eye view of the world.


4 posted on 02/21/2012 9:40:35 PM PST by Telepathic Intruder (The right thing is not always the popular thing)
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To: SunkenCiv

Would have been a pretty neat picture if the photographer had tried to keep those damn windmills out of it.


5 posted on 02/21/2012 10:04:20 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (It's time for the DemocRAT voter base to start paying their "fair share" of taxes.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Very cool but I have to admit I'm even more fascinated by the detail the enlarged pic provides.


6 posted on 02/21/2012 11:30:05 PM PST by I see my hands (The old sod ne'er shall be forgot.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Can we call them something else? Too pretty to be stuck with that monicker.
Crepuscular sounds like a skin disease.


7 posted on 02/22/2012 2:45:46 AM PST by Vinnie
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To: SunkenCiv
Crepuscular - occurring at dawn and dusk. Cats are crepuscular, they sleep a lot of the time and are most active at dawn and dusk when it is easier to catch prey. </pedantry!!>

Great picture, Mr. Civilizations!
8 posted on 02/22/2012 7:53:50 AM PST by TheOldLady (FReepmail me to get ON or OFF the ZOT LIGHTNING ping list)
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To: SunkenCiv

OOOOOOOOO Thats all I can say.


9 posted on 02/22/2012 10:29:52 AM PST by brytlea (An ounce of chocolate is worth a pound of cure)
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