The flashlight beam is traveling through the same atmosphere though. The scatter/bending happens when Sun hits atmosphere because it’s passing from one medium to another.

Notice the same bending does occur at the lesen of the flashlight as the light crosses over mediums.

The flashlight beam is traveling through the same atmosphere though. The scatter/bending happens when Sun hits atmosphere because it’s passing from one medium to another. Notice the same bending does occur at the lesen of the flashlight as the light crosses over mediums.