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Here's why it looked like there were sun beams on both horizons Wednesday night

Clouds or mountains obstruct the sunlight at sunset or sunrise, creating what's called crepuscular rays. On the opposite horizon they are called anti-crepuscular.
Credit: Tami Bothwell
Anti-Crepuscular Rays in Windsor, Colorado

COLORADO, USA — Were you like many 9NEWS viewers who spotted those spectacular rays on both horizons during Wednesday night's sunset?

Crepuscular rays — beams stemming from the setting or rising sun — are created by clouds or mountains obstructing the sunlight, splitting the sky into beams and shadows

Credit: Jeff Dewhurst
Anti-crepuscular rays seen from Ft. Collins, Colorado

When they appear on the horizon opposite the sunset, or sunrise, they are called anti-crepuscular rays. 

Credit: Mary Blake
Anti-crepuscular rays seen from Greeley, Colorado

In most cases, these rays appear to be emanating from, or converging towards, a single point on the horizon — and fanning out from there. This is an optical illusion due to perspective.

RELATED: What are these crazy clouds everyone saw, and how do they form?

 The rays are actually parallel to one another. On both horizons. 

Credit: Anonymous
Crepusular rays in Arvada, Colorado

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