The Belt of Venus

On clear evenings, as the Sun begins to set, a dark band can be seen rising in the east. Sometimes called the "twilight wedge", this is the shadow of the Earth being cast on the atmosphere. The top of the dark band shows a distinct red coloration. This is the so-called Belt of Venus and is produced by sunlight scattering off of fine particles as it passes through the atmosphere. As the Sun sinks lower the dark band rises higher, grows more diffuse before covering the entire sky. This phenomenon happens in reverse on the western horizon at sunrise.

This image was taken from Eustis Ridge on January 21st, 2023.