The light known as "crepuscular rays" from the Latin word for "twilight," can be seen illuminating a bank of clouds over Mars.. The image came about as part of the Curiosity rover's new mission on ...

The phrase “Crepuscular Rays” actually refers to both the light and dark bands you see in the sky when sunlight is partially blocked by clouds overhead or on the horizon.

Thicker clouds may obstruct the rays, while thinner clouds allow more light to pass through, creating more pronounced rays. Atmospheric conditions and the sun's position often work in tandem.

NASA’s Curiosity Rover captured a crisp image of a stunning Mars sunset last month, marking the first time sun rays have been so clearly viewed on the Red Planet.

The image, taken on February 2, shows rays of light illuminating a bank of clouds. These rays are called crepuscular rays, derived from the Latin word for “twilight.” ...

The pics were taken as the sun set over Mars on Feb. 2, and shows sunbeams—known as crepuscular rays—shooting through clouds in dramatic fashion. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/SSI .

NASA's Curiosity rover took this photo of crepuscular rays streaming through Martian clouds on Feb. 2, 2023. The same phenomenon is often seen on the home planet. Contributed / NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS ...

A detailed image of the Sun’s rays on Mars was captured by the Curiosity rover, NASA announced recently. Studying these images can tell us a lot about the Red Planet’s atmosphere.

Crepuscular rays — whose name derives from the Latin word for twilight — are an optical phenomenon caused by sunlight shooting through gaps in clouds or other obstacles.

Crepuscular rays are doing the same thing. They’re parallel, but near the point in the sky where the sun sets, they’re far away from you, so they appear close together.

They're also known as "anti-crepuscular rays if the shadow reaches a point 180 degrees opposite the sun, as this one does," she added. As unusual as the clouds may seem, Cappucci said they are ...