This photo taken by an astronaut from the International Space Station captures interstitial light and cumulonimbus clouds, showing a stunning contrast of light and shadow. The unique perspective from space showcases the vast range of light, an effect enhanced by atmospheric scattering. An astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) captured this angled photo of light from a cloud break over southern Asia. The angle of view away from the nadir, coupled with the low angle of the sun, brings out the different cloud layers and the warm tones of the sunset.
Cloudbursts - named after the Latin word for "evening" - are beams of sunlight that can appear at any time, but are most noticeable around sunrise or sunset. In this photo, gaps in the clouds allow sunlight to shine in, partially illuminating areas otherwise obscured by tall clouds. Water vapor and aerosol particles in the atmosphere scatter light, making these bright interspersed lights stand out.
This optical effect can often be seen from the ground. However, the effect is distinctive from the space station's high-altitude perspective, as astronauts can capture a much larger field of view, showing the truly vast distances that sunlight spans. Illusion also occurs at night when clouds or other high-altitude features block incoming moonlight.
The clouds visible in the photo are cumulonimbus clouds formed by updrafts of warm, moist air. Cumulonimbus clouds are also called thunderclouds because they are often associated with extreme weather such as lightning, hail, and tornadoes. The flat upper surface of a mature cumulonimbus cloud resembles an anvil because strong winds prevent the cloud from growing upward past the troposphere -- the layer of the atmosphere that forms the boundary between the troposphere below and the stratosphere above.
Astronaut photo ISS069-E-88621 was taken with a Nikon D5 digital camera on September 16, 2023, with a focal length of 105 mm. Photo courtesy of the International Space Station Crew Earth Observation Facility and the Johnson Space Center Earth Science and Remote Sensing Division. The picture was taken by members of the Expedition 69 crew. Images are cropped and enhanced to improve contrast and remove lens artifacts. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the International Space Station National Laboratory to help astronauts take photos of Earth that are of greatest value to scientists and the public and make these images freely available on the Internet.
Compiled from /ScitechDaily