Thunder and lightning, what could be more frightening?

Jacob’s ladder, Somerset

Michelle Cowbourne

When sunbeams penetrate the gaps in a layer of low cloud, they can be rendered luminous by water or dust particles in the air—an effect named after the ladder to heaven dreamt of by the biblical patriarch Jacob.

Crepuscular rays, South Tyrol, Italy

Mario Widmer

Originally applied to shafts of light radiating upwards in the sky just after the sun has set—the Latin word ‘crepusculum’ means twilight. It is now also used to describe shadowed bands cast by clouds at any time of the day. Often, the beams and shadows appear to radiate from a single point in the sky, streaming through gaps in clouds or between objects such as buildings and trees.

Green flash, Kent

Dusty Dhillon

Watching a glorious sunset is one of life’s great pleasures. As the glowing orb descends slowly beneath the horizon, the sky can progress through a kaleidoscope of colour, with oranges, reds, deep blues and violets putting on a show. But, every now and then, when the sun is nearly below the horizon, this familiar spectacle will be interrupted