Cloud rays, solar harps or Jacob's ladders, twilight rays or crepuscular rays are a weather phenomenon in which an incident light beam from the Sun shines through a hole in an environment with sufficient shadows. The shadow is usually caused by clouds through which a beam of light breaks and shines through a hole on the surface of the Earth. Other Jacob's ladders can be seen near a mountain top or in a park or humid autumnal forest where rays of light from the Sun pass through holes in the foliage.
The light that shines through the hole in clouds or a canopy, or along a mountain top, must be scattered to get this effect. Dust, snow, rain or air molecules can scatter the light. The brighter it is, the further the sunlight travels and the better the beam of light can be seen.
These rays are caused by differences in the thickness of clouds or other objects. These objects create diffraction, which causes the effect. They often appear when objects partially block the sun's rays. Cloud rays are almost parallel, but they do not appear so because of the line perspective.
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