Source-headline guide · 7 cited facts · 1 source hosts
Single source: science.nasa.gov — not independently corroborated.
NASA APOD Features 'Anticrepuscular Rainbow Fan' Photographed in Italy
Answer and evidence scope
- Answer
- NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 20, 2026 highlights an unusual rainbow photograph taken with a phone at sunset in Presenzano, Italy, in which the Sun appears to be in front of the viewer rather than behind — an effect created by anticrepuscular rays. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
- Significance
- The listed evidence does not establish broader implications.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
- Uncertainty
- Source-headline guide · 7 cited facts · 1 source hosts — Source claims do not establish independent corroboration.
What happened
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 20, 2026 features an image titled "An Anticrepuscular Rainbow Fan," described by the agency as an unusual rainbow (science. nasa. gov). According to the APOD entry, the rainbow is not complete and appears only in a sunlit fan, which by itself is not very unusual; what is most unusual is the fake location of the Sun (science. nasa. gov). The Sun appears to be toward the front, just below the hills in the image, but it is not (science. nasa. gov). The photo was taken with a phone last week at sunset in Presenzano, Italy, and the seemingly reverse rainbow was noticed when hanging up laundry (science. nasa. gov). [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
Key facts
APOD presents a different image or photograph of the universe each day, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer (science. nasa. gov). In the featured image, gaps between clouds near the setting Sun allowed rays to cross the entire sky and appear to converge in front, a phenomenon the entry calls anticrepuscular rays (science. nasa. gov). The entry notes that rainbows involve a backward reflection from falling rain, so the Sun must really be behind the viewer (science. nasa. gov). The image was captured at sunset in Presenzano, Italy, and was noticed while the photographer was hanging up laundry (science. nasa. gov). [7] [3] [4] [6]
What remains unknown
The APOD entry does not explain the precise geometry of the cloud gaps that produced the anticrepuscular rays, nor does it state the exact date the photograph was taken beyond "last week" (science. nasa. gov). It also does not identify the photographer beyond the credit line, or describe the camera settings used on the phone (science. nasa. gov). Single source: science. nasa. gov — not independently corroborated. Source: https://science. nasa. gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-20-an-anticrepuscular-rainbow-fan/ [6]
Corrections
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