2006-12-07 07:55:23 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
When light hits a material of a different density than what it was just in, it is scattered and bent. Just like when you stick your arm in a pond, it looks bent, just like a prism, etc...
2006-12-07 07:59:59 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
JOHNNIE B & Eugene N are correct! Although light coming from the Sun is nearly parallel from any one point on the surface of the Sun, the Sun appears as a disc to us. Not a point source like the stars. Therefore light from the 'top' edge of the disc appear to fan out relative to the center or 'bottom' edge of the disc. If the sun were about 100 times further away then these "Jacob's Ladders" you are speaking of would be straight and not fan out because the disc of the Sun would be almost a point source. Of course there would be a lot. lot, lot less light, and a little bit colder too!
2006-12-07 08:15:29 · answer #2 · answered by URFI 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The sunlight is not hitting us in a straight line. Look at the sun. It takes up about a half degree in the sky. The light from one side of the sun hits us at a different angle than the opposite side.
2006-12-07 08:15:16 · answer #3 · answered by Gene 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I also agree with cirric.
people are confusing sub surface scattering with the way the light bounces off the atoms in the clouds. That would illuminate the clouds, but it wouldn't bend the light into a fan of light rays.
the lensing effect is what makes the moon and sun look bigger at sunrise and sunset. it wouldn't fan out the light.
2006-12-08 13:59:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cirric is right, it's an effect of perspective. Usually the reason they look like they're sreading out toward the bottom is because the ray's emergence point from the cloud is farther away from you than the point where the ray hits the ground.
2006-12-07 08:05:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not diffusion, diffraction or anything like that, it is simply perspective. Things that are nearer look bigger. "Dougal, these cows are small, those cows are far away". The rays are actually parallel but where they emerge from the cloud they are far away, so the rays look like they are close together. When they reach the ground they are nearer to us and look further apart. As someone else said (Cirric?), like railway tracks.
2006-12-07 18:23:03 · answer #6 · answered by Martin 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The bending of light through refreaction as it passes through the relatively thick moisture (micro droplets) of the clouds.
2006-12-07 07:57:36 · answer #7 · answered by CP_Researcher 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Light is scattered by the molecules present in the cloud.
2006-12-07 07:57:11 · answer #8 · answered by Jabberwock 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well it rarely ever hits you straight on. First it's filtered of UV rays by whatever's left of the ozone layer and than it gets reflected off of or absorbed by the atmosphere.
2006-12-07 08:10:00 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is refracted by the water molecules - just as would be light through some glass (eg prism) etc
2006-12-07 07:57:44 · answer #10 · answered by big pup in a small bath 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋