These are called crepuscular rays, and here's how they form. Crepuscular rays are more common when the sun is closer to the horizon, around sunrise or sunset. You can even see crepuscular rays from space! You can see all that sunlight hitting the clouds, which cast shadows on the other side while some sun rays still break through as well. ADVERTISEMENTCrepuscular rays are sometimes called God Rays or Jacob's Ladder as well, but the term crepuscular itself comes from the Latin word "crepusculum," which means "twilight."