Why sunsets are pink

At one time or another everyone has marveled at the beautiful reddish-orange hues of a sunrise or sunset. Although red-orange sunsets are common everywhere, certain regions are famous for pink sunsets. The deserts and urban cities quickly come to mind. Why do some parts of the world enjoy more unusual colors in the setting sky than others, and what causes them? What are the different sunset colors? What do pink sunsets indicate? These and the science behind sunset colors are explored in the paragraphs that follow.

During sunrise and sunset, the rays of the sun must pass through almost 30 to 40 percent more area of the atmosphere than they do during any other times of the day, and a greater number of dust or water vapor before they reach human eyes.

The shorter violet and blue wavelengths in the spectrum scatter away from the human field of vision. However, the longer yellow, orange, and red wavelengths of light do not scatter as much. Thus, the sky takes a yellow, orange, and red palette. Experts consider pink a variant of red wavelength. The more the particles in the atmosphere, the more the light scattering and the more vivid the sky appears.

Summer sunsets in certain parts of the world tend to cover the sky entirely with red, orange, or pink shades while winter sunsets usually give a band of colors. Because there are more haze and dust particles hanging around during the summer season. By Mary Forgione.

A surfer is silhouetted against a setting sun in Hermosa Beach on Jan. The rising sun lights up palm trees in Azusa on Jan. The setting sun explodes with color behind a runner in Long Beach. Updates p. Mary Forgione. Follow Us twitter email. More From the Los Angeles Times. Lifestyle L. Lifestyle Holiday craft fairs return: Where to shop for the best handmade gifts in L.

The colors of the sunset result from a phenomenon called scattering, says Steven Ackerman, professor of meteorology at UW-Madison. Molecules and small particles in the atmosphere change the direction of light rays, causing them to scatter. Scattering affects the color of light coming from the sky, but the details are determined by the wavelength of the light and the size of the particle. The short-wavelength blue and violet are scattered by molecules in the air much more than other colors of the spectrum.

This is why blue and violet light reaches our eyes from all directions on a clear day. But because we can't see violet very well, the sky appears blue. Why sunsets are better in the winter. Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. Sunsets, explained Sunset colors are created by a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering. It makes a little more sense when you see a diagram. NOAA At sunset, light has to travel through a greater distance of atmosphere to reach our eyes — so even more blue light, and even some green and yellow light, gets filtered out.

So crisp, dryer air allows more pure colors to reach our eyes. Twilight lasts longer closer to the solstices. So those pure colored sunsets linger. Part of the beauty is in the surprise Given all these variables, I wondered: Can great sunsets be predicted? Delivered Fridays. Thanks for signing up! Check your inbox for a welcome email.

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