Why does sunlight beaming down through clouds spread out, instead of coming down straight?

Question

My mind’s logic is that since the sun is SO far away, the light coming to the earth should be in a straight line coming through the clouds as well. But any google image search for “sunlight through clouds” show the lights coming out of the clouds wide almost in a fan-like shape (as if the sun is right behind the clouds). Why is this?

In: Physics

Answer 1

It’s [one-point perspective](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_(graphical)#One-point_perspective), like a pair of railroad tracks that appear to converge at the horizon. The light rays are parallel, but you’re standing in a different location relative to each one.