Posted by Scott Fricke on December 3, 2007 at 10:56 PM
Driving up to Vail today I witnessed the iridescent cloud phenomena Todd posted about a few days ago, over Lake Dillon...
Posted by Scott Fricke on December 3, 2007 at 10:57 PM
...then heading EAST on I-70 at 4:30 PM saw this "sunburst" in the opposite direction of the sun, still can't figure out what caused this...
Posted by Scott Fricke on December 3, 2007 at 11:00 PM
...then had a little bit of color in the sky at sunset tonight
Posted by Mel Ladewig on December 3, 2007 at 11:09 PM
Sunset was spectacular in the Springs tonight too.
I've seen the reversed starburst before too.
All very cool captures Scott.
Posted by Mark Stahlke on December 4, 2007 at 12:10 AM
Geez, Scott, if I had a lens with that much chromatic aberration I'd get rid of it.
It's nice to see somebody captured tonight's gorgeous sunset. I was sitting on the bus.
Posted by Todd Caudle on December 4, 2007 at 12:29 AM
Here's another cool sky view. This is below Red Mountain Pass from yesterday morning. The sky actually has a granular look to it, because it was composed of ice crystals raining down on me.
Scott, those converging rays in shot #2 are actually shadows of cloud shapes overhead.
Sunset was killer down here in Pueblo tonight, too, but I couldn't get anywhere decent to shoot it. I predict similar conditions for tomorrow, so have your camera at the ready!
Posted by Scott Fricke on December 4, 2007 at 1:19 AM
Mark, I was sitting dead stopped in traffic on I-70 taking photos myself,not quite the most picturesque location....
Todd, that is a great effect. You could be right, I also thought it might be shadows at first, but I still wonder why there is the intense glow at the "origin" of the sunburst and this was just a few minutes before sunset and I can't figure out how the angles would work to create those type of shadows. For example, on your photo the trees are casting shadows creating a dark sunburst pattern, where in mine they are light rays. But who knows, light certainly can bounce around in ways you never would imagine.
Posted by Todd Caudle on December 4, 2007 at 2:18 AM
You're right, what you see in your photo are indeed rays of light, but what's making them stand out are the shadows that separate them. The sun is reflecting off of particles in the atmosphere, be it virga or pollution. But it's shadows thrown from tufts of clouds descending from the cloud deck that are creating the rays. But we may be dealing with a tomato/tomahhhto, potato/potahhhto thing here.
Posted by Arlen Fletcher on December 4, 2007 at 10:53 AM
Scott,
I'm wondering if your shot is really of anticrepuscular rays?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anticrepuscular_rays
-Arlen
Posted by Mel Ladewig on December 4, 2007 at 11:04 AM
Arlen, I would have to agree with that article.
Posted by Todd Caudle on December 4, 2007 at 11:39 AM
What do you know, what I was trying to describe actually has a name!
Posted by Marc Adamus on December 4, 2007 at 5:53 PM
You guys get the strangest light and weather out there.
Posted by Scott Fricke on December 4, 2007 at 9:02 PM
Arlen, I believe you are correct, you learn something new everyday!
Discussion
13 repliesI've seen the reversed starburst before too.
All very cool captures Scott.
It's nice to see somebody captured tonight's gorgeous sunset. I was sitting on the bus.
Scott, those converging rays in shot #2 are actually shadows of cloud shapes overhead.
Sunset was killer down here in Pueblo tonight, too, but I couldn't get anywhere decent to shoot it. I predict similar conditions for tomorrow, so have your camera at the ready!
Todd, that is a great effect. You could be right, I also thought it might be shadows at first, but I still wonder why there is the intense glow at the "origin" of the sunburst and this was just a few minutes before sunset and I can't figure out how the angles would work to create those type of shadows. For example, on your photo the trees are casting shadows creating a dark sunburst pattern, where in mine they are light rays. But who knows, light certainly can bounce around in ways you never would imagine.
I'm wondering if your shot is really of anticrepuscular rays?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anticrepuscular_rays
-Arlen
Todd - Awesome shot.
RichieV