How to explain this light?

[BratPix]

This photo was taken facing west on April 25 at sunset from the top floor of the Zamansky Tower in Paris https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_Zamansky.

Here is a wider shot:

 

[DrLex]

I suspect the sun was already below the horizon when this happened? It looks like a single beam of sunlight might have poked through a hole in a lower layer of clouds, illuminating a cloud in a higher layer. Regardless, it's a very cool shot.

 

[BratPix]

I suspect the sun was already below the horizon when this happened? It looks like a single beam of sunlight might have poked through a hole in a lower layer of clouds, illuminating a cloud in a higher layer. Regardless, it's a very cool shot.

Thank you DrLex for you reply. I guess you are perfectly right in your explanation.

 

[Smaug]

Awesome shot.

 

[Hike Pics]

It's called a "sun dog" where I'm from.

 

[BratPix]

Awesome shot.

Thank you Smaug.

 

[BratPix]

It's called a "sun dog" where I'm from.

Thank you for this suggestion. I looked for images on the internet for sun dogs (or parhelia). While most of them have nothing in common with what I saw, a few are strickingly similar so yes I think it is a sun dog!