Strange phenomenon

[Akira]

There was no interesting clouds for the sunset image, so I didn't expect anything to shoot.  However, I observed this strange phenomenon when I went out from my place.

The images were shot into the north-west and the south-east, respectively, and the fan-shaped blue portions are connected to each other right above my head to make a great blue arc in the pink sky.

I wonder if there is any specific (scientific) name for the phenomenon?   Or, is it just the matter of the refraction of the light caused by the excessive amount of the moisture?  It has been steamy today.   The sun was setting in the north-west.

[Gone]

My guess is that they are noctiluscent type 2a .... very high thin ice crystal clouds with blurred edges, only seen at dawn / dusk and often coloured pink by the low sun, like cirrus they form "lines" and your blue band is just a gap in the cloud.

[Jack Dahlgren]

There was no interesting clouds for the sunset image, so I didn't expect anything to shoot.  However, I observed this strange phenomenon when I went out from my place.

The images were shot into the north-west and the south-east, respectively, and the fan-shaped blue portions are connected to each other right above my head to make a great blue arc in the pink sky.

I wonder if there is any specific (scientific) name for the phenomenon?   Or, is it just the matter of the refraction of the light caused by the excessive amount of the moisture?  It has been steamy today.   The sun was setting in the north-west.

Is it the shadow of a distant mountain?

[basker]

I wonder if there is any specific (scientific) name for the phenomenon?   Or, is it just the matter of the refraction of the light caused by the excessive amount of the moisture?  It has been steamy today.   The sun was setting in the north-west.

Search on crepuscular rays and anticrepuscular rays.

The images were shot into the north-west and the south-east, respectively, and the fan-shaped blue portions are connected to each other right above my head to make a great blue arc in the pink sky.

 I think you are showing one of each.

Sam

[Akira]

My guess is that they are noctiluscent type 2a .... very high thin ice crystal clouds with blurred edges, only seen at dawn / dusk and often coloured pink by the low sun, like cirrus they form "lines" and your blue band is just a gap in the cloud.

Thank you, Chris, for sharing your opinion.  I might have heard about the noctilucent clouds, but that never occurred to me.  Your explanation seems to make sense, but the clouds don't really look as bright as the noctilucent clouds.

Is it the shadow of a distant mountain?

Jack, that can happen theoretically, but there was no light source in the south-east in this case.

Search on crepuscular rays and anticrepuscular rays.

 I think you are showing one of each.

Sam

Sam, thank you for your suggestion.  The explanation for "anticrepuscular rays" in Wiki seems to refer to what I shot:

Anticrepuscular rays are most frequently visible around sunrise or sunset. This is because the atmospheric light scattering that makes them visible (backscattering) is larger for low angles to the horizon than most other angles. Anticrepuscular rays are dimmer than crepuscular rays because backscattering is less than forward scattering.

Anticrepuscular rays can be continuous with crepuscular rays, curving across the whole sky in great circles.

[basker]

Akira,

You are welcome. I follow your posts and enjoy seeing them.

Sam

[Akira]

Akira,

You are welcome. I follow your posts and enjoy seeing them.

Sam

Again, thank you for kind words.  I'm glad to know you enjoy my posts.