False Fajr (zodiacal light)

False dawn, also known as false fajr, refers to a natural phenomenon that occurs before the actual dawn or fajr prayer time. It is characterized by a faint glow on the horizon that may be mistaken for the true dawn, but it occurs earlier and fades away before the actual sunrise. False dawn is primarily observed in certain geographical locations and under specific atmospheric conditions.

The appearance of false dawn is caused by the scattering of sunlight by the Earth's atmosphere. When the Sun is below the horizon, sunlight can still reach the upper layers of the atmosphere and scatter. This scattering causes the sky to exhibit a faint illumination, creating a false sense of light before the actual sunrise.