Credit & Copyright: Emili Vilamala
Explanation:
The
defining astronomical moment
of this September's equinox is at 12:44 UTC on September 22,
when the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving south in its
yearly journey through planet Earth's sky.
That marks the beginning of
fall for our
fair planet
in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere,
when day and night are nearly equal around the globe.
Of course, if you celebrate the
astronomical change of seasons
by watching a sunrise you can also
look
for crepuscular rays.
Outlined by shadows cast by clouds, crepuscular rays
can have a dramatic appearance in the
twilight sky during any sunrise (or sunset).
Due to perspective, the parallel cloud shadows will seem to
point back to the rising Sun
and a place
due east on your horizon on the equinox date.
But in this spectacular sunrise skyscape captured in early June,
the parallel shadows and crepuscular rays
appear to converge toward an eastern horizon's
more northerly sunrise.
The well-composed photo places
the rising Sun just behind the bell tower of a church
in the town of Vic, province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: equinox - sunrise
Publications with words: equinox - sunrise
See also: