The Belt of Venus or Venus's Girdle is the Victorian era name for an atmospheric phenomenon seen at sunrise and sunset. Shortly after sunset or shortly before sunrise the observer is completely, or very nearly completely, surrounded by a pinkish glow or antitwilight arch that extends roughly 10°–20° above the horizon. Often the glow is separated from the horizon by a dark layer, the shadow of planet earth. The arch's light rose (pink) color is due to backscattering of reddened light from the rising or setting Sun. A very similar effect can be seen during a total eclipse of the Sun.

Optical phenomena | Optics | astronomy