 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 Archive - Virga and Rays

   January 02, 2021

    Virga2

   Every weekend we present a notable item from our archives. This EPOD
   was originally published January 2, 2004.

   Provided and copyright by:  Peg Staudenmaier
   Summary author:  Peg Staudenmaier

   The above photo shows a picturesque summer shower, captured last July
   about 80 miles or 128 km southwest of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This
   veil of precipitation actually evaporated before it reached the ground
   and is called virga. Also note the rays from the Sun (crepuscular
   rays), which appear to be escaping the heavy layer of altocumulus
   clouds, slanting in the opposite direction from the rain shaft. The
   weather on this day was typical of what we experienced while
   vacationing near the town of Bluffton, Alberta on July 1 (Canada Day).
   We were rewarded again, about half an hour after this picture was
   taken, with a delicate rainbow over the surrounding fields, all without
   having the holiday picnic rained out!


Related EPODs

    Archive - Virga and Rays  Sunrise Mammatus Clouds  Archive -
   Lenticular Cloud Display  Parisian Twilight Sky  EPOD 20th -
   Mammatus Above Brookfield  EPOD 20th - Nacreous Clouds Above
   Antarctica
    More...

Cloud Links

     *  Atmospheric Optics
     *  The Cloud Appreciation Society
     *  Cloud Atlas
     *  Color and Light in Nature

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   Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the  Universities
   Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu
 
