How to fade light rays by tikz

Question

I would like to draw the light rays as below picture.

The below MWE is not beautifull. Please help me correct it. Thank you in advance!

\documentclass[tikz,border=2mm]{standalone}
\usetikzlibrary{fadings}
\pgfdeclareradialshading{rayball}{\pgfpoint{-0.45cm}{0.35cm}}%
{%
  color(0cm)=(white!50!red);
  color(0.15cm)=(red!90!white);
  color(0.55cm)=(red!70!white);
  color(1cm)=(red!60!white)
}
\begin{document}
\pagecolor{red}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\def\n{8} %%number of ray lights
\def\r{0.15} %% radius of circle
\pgfmathsetmacro{\arcangle}{360/(4*\n)}
\def\lightray{(\arcangle:\r)
    \foreach \i in {1,3,...,2\n}{
      --({2*\i*\arcangle}:{30*\r})--({(2*\i+1)*\arcangle}:\r)
      --({2*(\i+1)*\arcangle}:{14*\r})--({(2*\i+3)*\arcangle}:\r)
    }
};
\tikzfading[name=fade out, inner color=transparent!0, outer
color=transparent!100]
\tikzfading[name=fade outTWO, inner color=transparent!0, outer
color=transparent!50]
%%%Ball color
\begin{scope}[opacity=0.85]
    \foreach \rt in {1,2,...,9}{
        \fill[path fading=fade outTWO,shading=rayball,color=red] circle(\rt*\r) ;
    }
\end{scope}
%%%Light rays
\begin{scope}
\pgfsetblendmode{lighten}
\fill[path fading=fade out,color=yellow!70!red] \lightray;
\foreach \i in {-0.25,0,0.25}{
    \fill[path fading=fade out,color=white,scale=1.75,opacity=0.25,rotate=\i] \lightray;
}
\end{scope}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

Answer 1

The construction of the light rays is based on @Alain Matthes's answer; one of the colors (at the tapered end) is the background color. Afterwards, some fading disks (more or less) are added to suggest the highlights. The needed libraries are decorations.markings and fadings.

The code

\documentclass[11pt, margin=10pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{calc, math}
\usetikzlibrary{decorations.markings}
\usetikzlibrary{fadings}

\pgfkeys{/pgf/decoration/.cd,
  width factor/.store in =\wfactor,
  start color/.store in =\startcolor,
  end color/.store in =\endcolor
}
\makeatletter
\pgfdeclaredecoration{width and color change}{initial}{%
  \state{initial}[width=0pt, next state=line, persistent precomputation={%
    \pgfmathdivide{50}{\pgfdecoratedpathlength}%
    \let\increment=\pgfmathresult%
    \def\x{0}%
  }]{}
  \state{line}[width=.5pt, persistent postcomputation={%
    \pgfmathadd@{\x}{\increment}%
    \let\x=\pgfmathresult%
  }]{%
    \pgfsetlinewidth{\wfactor*\x/50*0.075pt+\pgflinewidth}%
    \pgfsetarrows{-}%
    \pgfpathmoveto{\pgfpointorigin}%
    \pgfpathlineto{\pgfqpoint{.75pt}{0pt}}%
    \pgfsetstrokecolor{\endcolor!\x!\startcolor}%
    \pgfusepath{stroke}%
  }
  \state{final}{%
    \pgfsetlinewidth{\pgflinewidth}%
    \pgfpathmoveto{\pgfpointorigin}%
    \color{\endcolor!\x!\startcolor}%
    \pgfusepath{stroke}% 
  }
}
\makeatother

\xdefinecolor{Y}{RGB}{238, 204, 17}
\xdefinecolor{R}{RGB}{238, 34, 34}
\xdefinecolor{LightY}{RGB}{247, 225, 34}

\begin{document}

\tikzfading[name=ffade out, inner color=transparent!64, outer color=transparent!100]
\tikzfading[name=fade out, inner color=transparent!0, outer color=transparent!100] 
\begin{tikzpicture}
  % background
  \fill[R] (-5, -5) rectangle (5, 5);

  % small fading rays
  \foreach \a in {0, 60, ..., 300}{%
    \draw[%line width=.4pt,
    decoration={
      width and color change,   
      width factor=.1,
      start color=R,
      end color=LightY!40!white
    }, decorate] (\a+30: 3.5) -- (0, 0);
  }

  % long rays
  \foreach \a in {0, 60, ..., 300}{%
    \draw[decoration={
      width and color change,   
      width factor=.3,
      start color=R,
      end color=Y
    }, decorate] (\a+5: 5) -- (0, 0);
  }
  \foreach \a in {0, 60, ..., 300}{%
    \draw[decoration={
      width and color change,   
      width factor=.1,
      start color=R,
      end color=LightY
    }, decorate] (\a+5: 5) -- (0, 0);
  }

  % higlights
  \fill[LightY!20!white, path fading=fade out] (0, 0) circle (.8);
  \foreach \a in {0, 60, 120}{%
    \fill[LightY!50!white, path fading=ffade out, rotate={\a+5}] 
    (0, 0) ellipse [x radius=1.3, y radius=1];
  }
\end{tikzpicture}