God rays

We didn't get a proper sunset last night as there was too much cloud, but I loved the 'god rays' that appeared for about a quarter of an hour around 8.30 pm. Properly called crespuscular rays, they are formed when sunlight is scattered by particles in the atmosphere.

Google tells me they are most noticeable when the sun is low on the horizon, such as during sunrise or sunset, because the light travels through a greater amount of atmosphere, increasing the scattering effect. While crepuscular rays appear to converge at a point, they are actually parallel, like railway lines, according to the laws of perspective. The convergence is an optical illusion caused by the way our eyes perceive parallel lines receding into the distance. So, now we know!

I sat on my balcony with a mug of rooibos tea and just enjoyed the light show. It was so peaceful; a few birds flying overhead, still trying to decide on their roost for the night; the gentle murmur of someone's TV in another flat, not intrusive but strangely comforting.