MadSci Network: Astronomy
Query:

Subject: Sunbeams show aparent sun position as aprox 2x cloud hight, Why?

Date: Fri Apr 21 18:17:07 2000
Posted by Sean Cleary
Grade level: undergrad School: CSUF, the last I attended school
City: Irvine State/Province: CA Country: No country entered.
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 956359027.As
Message:

Sun coming thru clouds forms beams of light (in dust in air?). These beams
are at different angles and point to a common source: the sun.
Trace those beams of light back and you end up both with the sun's aparent 
position and a good estimate of sun being just higher than the clouds. 
This is why no one thought otherwise long ago(my guess). Why does it look 
like that when the rays are supposed to be parallel and the sun 93M miles 
away?


Re: Sunbeams show aparent sun position as aprox 2x cloud hight, Why?

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