‘Crapuscule’ rays

Michael Maunder

These ‘crapuscule’ rays (my own term) are often seen here in Alderney, as are other phenomena which are quite rare in the UK. This photograph was taken in August 2003. Solar pillars and the green flash are quite often seen when the sea horizon is clear and the air is clean. During a recent incredibly clear day, the pollution over the UK was particularly obvious as a purple-brown layer, with an optically clear layer above it and an azure blue sky everywhere else.