Darwin's Unique Sunsets

By Gemma Ferguson

Topic: Weather

Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 7:17 am

Northern Australia's sunsets have looked different lately due to a weather phenomenon.

Distinct blue sky ribbons have divided sunset hues into color strips, photographed across the Top End.

The Bureau of Meteorology says the views are an optical illusion called crepuscular rays.

Crepuscular rays can happen anytime the sun is visible and anywhere in the world.

Here's what we know about the weather phenomenon.

A sunset was photographed in Coolalinga, on Darwin's outskirts.

Crepuscular rays were captured on camera during sunset at Mindil Beach.

What are crepuscular rays?

The phenomenon occurs when the sun is partially obscured by low-hanging clouds.

The name originates from Latin, referring to the time of day crepuscular rays are visible.

The weather phenomenon occurred at Casuarina, in Darwin's northern suburbs.

Local athletes saw a stunning sunset over Darwin's Bagot Oval.

They're also commonly known as God's rays or Jacob's ladder.

Crepuscular rays are generally photographed at sunset due to light scattering through particles.

A sunset was photographed from a balcony in Muirhead, Darwin.

Crepuscular rays filled the sky over Rosebery, an outer suburb of Palmerston.

How do these rays happen?

Crepuscular rays can occur whenever there's low cloud with enough particulate matter.

If there's cloud at the horizon and the sun is setting behind it, we'll see shadows radiate in beams.

We can also see the phenomenon when the cloud is low in the sky but the sun hasn't set yet.

Crepuscular rays were captured in Larrakeyah on the weekend.

The phenomenon is often photographed at twilight.

The rays' appearance depends on the cloud shape and sunbeams passing through.

Preventive burns increase the chance of clouds forming in the right spot for crepuscular rays.

Crowds at the Bass in the Grass music festival might have noticed the colorful sunset.

Crepuscular rays were captured in Parap earlier this month.

You might be lucky enough to see the inverse effect.

They may appear fainter, on the opposite horizon, and converge on the horizon opposite the setting sun.

Anti-crepuscular rays over the Top End were captured from Channel Island Road.

Do crepuscular rays only occur at sunset?

The weather phenomenon is possible whenever the sun is visible, but photos during the day won't show the same colors.

But crepuscular rays can happen any time of day.

Crepuscular rays can appear at any time, as shown in a Top End example.

The weather bureau says many of Darwin's recent sunsets have featured crepuscular rays.

Why does perspective matter?

Crepuscular rays radiate outward from the sun, and to those standing below, the shadows appear to fan out.

But the beams themselves tend to run parallel to one another.

Hanna Whiteside says crepuscular rays often occur at twilight, but it's possible to see them whenever the sun is out.

It's more of a perspective phenomenon, so the beams are actually generally parallel.

She likened this human perspective to how we interpret a long road.

A NASA photo shows the shadows running parallel.

It's the same with crepuscular rays: the sun is further away, but the shadows appear much closer.

Darwin is no stranger to crepuscular rays.

Since this weather phenomenon can occur at any time of year, here are older photos captured in the Top End.

For the chance to be featured, please email us your original local weather photos.

A stunning display filled the sky over Nightcliff Beach in June 2022.

Crepuscular rays can happen anywhere in the world, like this Queensland example.

Crepuscular rays were photographed at Nightcliff beach in April.

A dog beach in Casuarina saw a spectacular sunset in January 2025.

Crepuscular rays were on display at Dundee Beach in November 2024.

Crepuscular rays were pictured during a 2025 dry season sunset at Bundilla Beach.

A June 2022 shot from the Nightcliff foreshore shows Darwin is no stranger to crepuscular rays.

Anyone who has attended the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets will understand how the dry season event earned its name.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 7:17 am

Header image: Crepuscular rays can happen when low-hanging clouds cast shadows over the setting sun.

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