Home / Editor's Pick /

The sky comes alive: How to spot anti-crepuscular rays

06:00
16 April 2023

The sky comes alive
How to spot anti-crepuscular rays

crepuscular rays

We've seen a few examples of crepuscular rays in recent editions of 'Your weather - Your shots' but have you heard of anti-crepuscular rays?

Crepuscular rays are pillars of sunlight appearing to converge towards the sun on the horizon or bursting out of clouds, but if you face away from them, you may get to see something even more elusive.

The next time crepuscular rays light up the horizon, turn away from them. If you do, you might get to see some faint anti-crepuscular rays converging towards an anti-solar point, opposite the sun.

If you want to see some anti-crepuscular rays yourself, here are three tips to remember:

  • Turn around and face the opposite direction to the sun
  • Look carefully – remember anti-crepuscular rays are fainter than crepuscular rays
  • They will be most visible at sunrise or sunset, as the sun passes over the horizon.

See if you can see some for yourself and send us any pictures you take. Just click the little camera in the top corner or use the uploader.

Ryan Hathaway
More on the topic
The image shows the ruins of a house on the left and the weather radar with thunderstorms over Sumatra on the right.
Wednesday, 3 December 2025

Heavy monsoon rain

Flood disaster on Sumatra
Colour-coded wind map of the UK and nearby Europe showing widespread orange-red zones with wind speeds labelled 30–40 mph and a wind warning icon in the northwest.
Wednesday, 26 November 2025

Gales on the way

Stormy outlook for Thursday
Split image showing a night-time waterfall beneath sweeping star trails on the left, and a bright double rainbow over a calm lakeside with mountains, pier, and mist on the right.
Sunday, 30 November 2025

Your weather - Your shots

From rainbow light to starlight
All weather news
This might also interest you
Weather map of the UK and Ireland showing scattered showers with cloudy patches across much of the region, especially around western and northern areas. Sunshine symbols appear over London, Cardiff, and parts of southern England, while temperatures range from 17°C to 18°C in most places. Areas of heavier rain are visible over the Atlantic to the west.
Friday, 29 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Unsettled conditions into the weekend
Friday, 22 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Sunny start for some, overcast later
Split weather map showing UK wind speeds in orange-red shades up to 40 mph on the left and warning levels in green-yellow on the right, with a central wind warning sign.
Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Warnings active

Storm Benjamin impacts the UK
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList