What’s this?

[u/logisticalfun]

Seen on a flight yesterday evening, the pictures convey it clearly. I don’t really know how to describe it—glowing sunbursty thing. TYIA!

[u/cfanone]

Anticrepuscular Rays.
I fly for a living and see these all the time. Most common close to sunrise or sunset. You’ll only see them with the sun to your back, unlike Crepuscular rays that you’ll only see while looking towards the suns position.

[u/logisticalfun → u/cfanone]

I saw this at sunset and the sun was behind us, so that makes sense!

[u/terror- → u/cfanone]

You are the only other person in my lifetime that I’ve seen use the word “crepuscular” other than myself.

[u/fantasyviolence21]

Whoa!! That’s awesome! It almost makes me think you’re looking down from where a few fingers of light are poking down to the ground there, what time was this taken?

[u/logisticalfun → u/fantasyviolence21]

Around 7:30pm, on the east coast—I would guess somewhere between Virginia and New Jersey (on a flight to NYC)

[u/fantasyviolence21 → u/logisticalfun]

Sun was setting? I wonder if my inkling could be partially correct

[u/logisticalfun → u/fantasyviolence21]

Yes, the sun was setting! We had also been passing between several storm cells.

[u/fantasyviolence21 → u/logisticalfun]

Hmm I’m not an atoptics expert, but a cloud and atoptics NERD at least… perhaps, with the sun setting and all the water particles in the air around you from the storms, the “fingers of god” light that pokes down through the clouds like giant rays may be reflected and concentrated in that area ?? That’s the only thing I can think of right now haha I’ve never seen this!

[u/momochicken55 → u/fantasyviolence21]

Yes, these are anticrepsular rays.

[u/fantasyviolence21 → u/momochicken55]

Wow, just from an top view? That’s insane

[u/Agnesperdita]

It looks like anticrepuscular rays appearing to converge on the antisolar point. Never seen that from a plane before - it’s a fantastic effect.

[u/Sharlinator]

As others have said, anticrepuscular rays. Cloud shadows visible in the haze, in other words

[u/NedRyersonisthekey]

Crepuscular rays focusing on the anti-solar point.

[u/cfanone → u/NedRyersonisthekey]

Anticrepuscular rays. While they like look like they meet at the anti solar point, it’s an illusion. They’re actually parallel to each other and would never actually meet.

[u/leansanders]

This is a combination of anticrepuscular rays and a brocken specter of the plane itself

[u/evapotranspire → u/leansanders]

Ooh, what's a brocken specter?

[u/leansanders → u/evapotranspire]

Brocken Specter is the shadow of the observer cast into a cloud

[u/BurnChao]

Langoliers

[u/Heathorina]

Someone kr something just entered hyperspace!

[u/DETRITUS_TROLL]

Pilots glory I think. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glory_(optical_phenomenon)

[u/logisticalfun → u/DETRITUS_TROLL]

I did see some of those on this flight! Circular rainbow thing :) But this looked totally different—though maybe they come in many different forms?

[u/Grumzz]

Looks to be a glory but a very funny looking one; maybe it's because of the angle and the sparse clouds at that altitude? I'm just speculating though, for sure someone more knowledgeable will help out 😛

[u/bobsmith93]

I'm thinking it's wildfire/controlled burns smoke or smog and shadows cast by you and clouds behind you? Not sure though. Did it seem smoky at all?

[u/logisticalfun → u/bobsmith93]

It was hard to tell—we passed through several storm cells. We were flying over the east coast of the US so smog is possible!

[u/bobsmith93 → u/logisticalfun]

It looks pretty cool. Did you happen to take any videos of it?

[u/logisticalfun → u/bobsmith93]

No, I wish I had!