diff --git a/src/pt/aligned_sky_state.hpp b/src/pt/aligned_sky_state.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1da45eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pt/aligned_sky_state.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <common/assert.hpp>
+#include <common/units/angle.hpp>
+
+#include <glm/glm.hpp>
+#include <hw-skymodel/hw_skymodel.h>
+
+#include <array>
+#include <cstring>
+#include <numbers>
+
+namespace nlrs
+{
+struct Sky
+{
+    float                turbidity = 1.0f;
+    std::array<float, 3> albedo = {1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f};
+    float                sunZenithDegrees = 30.0f;
+    float                sunAzimuthDegrees = 0.0f;
+
+    bool operator==(const Sky&) const noexcept = default;
+};
+
+// A 16-byte aligned sky state for the hw-skymodel library. Matches the layout of the following WGSL
+// struct:
+//
+// struct SkyState {
+//     params: array<f32, 27>,
+//     skyRadiances: array<f32, 3>,
+//     solarRadiances: array<f32, 3>,
+//     sunDirection: vec3<f32>,
+// };
+struct AlignedSkyState
+{
+    float     params[27];        // offset: 0
+    float     skyRadiances[3];   // offset: 27
+    float     solarRadiances[3]; // offset: 30
+    float     padding1[3];       // offset: 33
+    glm::vec3 sunDirection;      // offset: 36
+    float     padding2;          // offset: 39
+
+    inline AlignedSkyState(const Sky& sky)
+        : params{0},
+          skyRadiances{0},
+          solarRadiances{0},
+          padding1{0.f, 0.f, 0.f},
+          sunDirection(0.f),
+          padding2(0.0f)
+    {
+        const float sunZenith = Angle::degrees(sky.sunZenithDegrees).asRadians();
+        const float sunAzimuth = Angle::degrees(sky.sunAzimuthDegrees).asRadians();
+
+        sunDirection = glm::normalize(glm::vec3(
+            std::sin(sunZenith) * std::cos(sunAzimuth),
+            std::cos(sunZenith),
+            -std::sin(sunZenith) * std::sin(sunAzimuth)));
+
+        const sky_params skyParams{
+            .elevation = 0.5f * std::numbers::pi_v<float> - sunZenith,
+            .turbidity = sky.turbidity,
+            .albedo = {sky.albedo[0], sky.albedo[1], sky.albedo[2]}};
+
+        sky_state skyState;
+        NLRS_ASSERT(sky_state_new(&skyParams, &skyState) == sky_state_result_success);
+
+        std::memcpy(params, skyState.params, sizeof(skyState.params));
+        std::memcpy(skyRadiances, skyState.sky_radiances, sizeof(skyState.sky_radiances));
+        std::memcpy(solarRadiances, skyState.solar_radiances, sizeof(skyState.solar_radiances));
+    }
+};
+} // namespace nlrs
diff --git a/src/pt/reference_path_tracer.cpp b/src/pt/reference_path_tracer.cpp
index 29123ce..271c0c5 100644
--- a/src/pt/reference_path_tracer.cpp
+++ b/src/pt/reference_path_tracer.cpp
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 
 #include <common/bvh.hpp>
 #include <common/gltf_model.hpp>
-#include <hw-skymodel/hw_skymodel.h>
 
 #include <fmt/core.h>
 #include <glm/glm.hpp>
@@ -27,9 +26,6 @@
 
 namespace nlrs
 {
-inline constexpr float PI = std::numbers::pi_v<float>;
-inline constexpr float DEGREES_TO_RADIANS = PI / 180.0f;
-
 namespace
 {
 struct FrameDataLayout
@@ -96,47 +92,6 @@ struct SamplingStateLayout
     }
 };
 
-struct SkyStateLayout
-{
-    float     params[27];        // offset: 0
-    float     skyRadiances[3];   // offset: 27
-    float     solarRadiances[3]; // offset: 30
-    float     padding1[3];       // offset: 33
-    glm::vec3 sunDirection;      // offset: 36
-    float     padding2;          // offset: 39
-
-    SkyStateLayout(const Sky& sky)
-        : params{0},
-          skyRadiances{0},
-          solarRadiances{0},
-          padding1{0.f, 0.f, 0.f},
-          sunDirection(0.f),
-          padding2(0.0f)
-    {
-        const float sunZenith = sky.sunZenithDegrees * DEGREES_TO_RADIANS;
-        const float sunAzimuth = sky.sunAzimuthDegrees * DEGREES_TO_RADIANS;
-
-        sunDirection = glm::normalize(glm::vec3(
-            std::sin(sunZenith) * std::cos(sunAzimuth),
-            std::cos(sunZenith),
-            -std::sin(sunZenith) * std::sin(sunAzimuth)));
-
-        const sky_params skyParams{
-            .elevation = 0.5f * PI - sunZenith,
-            .turbidity = sky.turbidity,
-            .albedo = {sky.albedo[0], sky.albedo[1], sky.albedo[2]}};
-
-        sky_state                   skyState;
-        [[maybe_unused]] const auto r = sky_state_new(&skyParams, &skyState);
-        // TODO: exceptional error handling
-        assert(r == sky_state_result_success);
-
-        std::memcpy(params, skyState.params, sizeof(skyState.params));
-        std::memcpy(skyRadiances, skyState.sky_radiances, sizeof(skyState.sky_radiances));
-        std::memcpy(solarRadiances, skyState.solar_radiances, sizeof(skyState.solar_radiances));
-    }
-};
-
 struct RenderParamsLayout
 {
     FrameDataLayout     frameData;
@@ -187,7 +142,7 @@ ReferencePathTracer::ReferencePathTracer(
           gpuContext.device,
           "sky state buffer",
           GpuBufferUsage::ReadOnlyStorage | GpuBufferUsage::CopyDst,
-          sizeof(SkyStateLayout)),
+          sizeof(AlignedSkyState)),
       mRenderParamsBindGroup(),
       mBvhNodeBuffer(
           gpuContext.device,
@@ -624,9 +579,9 @@ void ReferencePathTracer::render(const GpuContext& gpuContext, WGPUTextureView t
             0,
             &mCurrentPostProcessingParams,
             sizeof(PostProcessingParameters));
-        const SkyStateLayout skyStateLayout{mCurrentRenderParams.sky};
+        const AlignedSkyState skyState{mCurrentRenderParams.sky};
         wgpuQueueWriteBuffer(
-            gpuContext.queue, mSkyStateBuffer.ptr(), 0, &skyStateLayout, sizeof(SkyStateLayout));
+            gpuContext.queue, mSkyStateBuffer.ptr(), 0, &skyState, sizeof(AlignedSkyState));
     }
 
     const WGPUCommandEncoder encoder = [&gpuContext]() {
diff --git a/src/pt/reference_path_tracer.hpp b/src/pt/reference_path_tracer.hpp
index a666e34..2bc1c75 100644
--- a/src/pt/reference_path_tracer.hpp
+++ b/src/pt/reference_path_tracer.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#include "aligned_sky_state.hpp"
 #include "gpu_bind_group.hpp"
 #include "gpu_buffer.hpp"
 
@@ -29,16 +30,6 @@ struct SamplingParams
     bool operator==(const SamplingParams&) const noexcept = default;
 };
 
-struct Sky
-{
-    float                turbidity = 1.0f;
-    std::array<float, 3> albedo = {1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f};
-    float                sunZenithDegrees = 30.0f;
-    float                sunAzimuthDegrees = 0.0f;
-
-    bool operator==(const Sky&) const noexcept = default;
-};
-
 struct RenderParameters
 {
     Extent2u       framebufferSize;