...I don't think that the sun that close to setting would cast the front shadow? At the point shown, it is just minutes away from setting with no shadows being cast at all..right?
My thoughts exactly.
In fact, by the time the bottom of what you 'see' as the sun has touched the horizon the sun has in fact already set and is no longer visible.
What you see 'at sunset' is a refracted image of the sun. Its light is refracted through the atmosphere and 'bent'.....like a straw in a glass of water....so despite it having physically gone below the horizon you can still see an image of it above, if only for a minute or two.
This is why at this point it casts no harsh shadows as there isn't any 'direct' light coming from it. Any direct light you now see is 'reflected' light off the atmosphere or cloud, which then gets diffused or scattered before hitting the earth.
This type of 'diffused' light gives a very soft, light shadow with no hard edge.....if any shadow at all. It would be very difficult to distinguish a shadow from the surface it falls on....its that subtle.
Sorry to bore you with that detail.....it comes from my 3D background where getting the light right is absolutely critical.
Regards.
MrTom.