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During sunrise and sunset, the sun's light passes through more of the Earth's atmosphere, which scatters shorter blue and green wavelengths, leaving behind longer red wavelengths that we perceive as a red sun. This scattering effect is amplified when the sun is at a lower angle in the sky.
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∙ 12y agoThe Sun doesn't really change color, it just appears that way. When the Sun is lower, closer to the horizon, the white light has to travel through more of the Earth's atmosphere. Refraction scatters the blue end of the spectrum more (which is why the sky is blue). The red color of light is scattered the least, and that is what you see on the horizon and in clouds.
Smoke, as from forest fires, makes the Sun look red for the same reason. The ash clouds from the Mount St. Helens volcanic eruption provided some of the most beautiful sunsets for a long time afterward.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoThe Sun is actually a white when seen from space
All the other colors that the Sun gives off are scattered by the atmosphere. Colours with a shorter wavelength (like blue) are more easily scattered leaving only red and green, which together look yellow or orange.
This is also why the sky is blue. The scattered blue light approaches you from all directions, so the sky looks blue.
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∙ 12y agoadad
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Why does the sun appear red in the evening?
The sun appears red or orange at sunrise and sunset because of the dust particles in the air and the angle which the sun is striking Earth at the given time. This causes the reds and oranges (who are of longer wavelength) spread out and "appear" red.
How long will the sunrise and sunset take if the sun were a red giant?
Sunrise and sunset may take longer if the sun were a red giant due to its larger size. The sun's expansion into a red giant would cause Earth to be engulfed, so the concept of sunrise and sunset would be moot.
Is the increasing pollution making the colors of sunrise appear more red?
60 years ago you could generally tell the difference between a sunrise (which appeared more golden) and sunset (which appeared more red after a day of pollution from cars and industry.) Now the pollution has worsened so you really can't tell the difference between sunrise and sunset. EZ
What is an alpenglow?
An alpenglow is a rose-red glow seen near sunset or sunrise on the summits of mountains.
What will the sunrise and sunset look like as a red giant?
You'll see the sun 200x bigger than today, and the sky will be black (either in sunrise or in sunset) because the heat of the sun will evaporate all of our atmosphere.
Why do ocean waters appear blue and skies at sunset appear red?
due to scattering of light .........
What process makes the sun appear red at sunset?
Refraction. At sunset/sunrise the sunlight passes through a lot of the atmosphere to get to the observer. All that air acts as a prism, bending the light, and blue light bends easier than red light. This means the blue light is bent more, and away from the observer, leaving only the red light behind.
Why is the sunset more colorful than the sunrise?
Various colors are seen during sunrise and sunset because the light travelling through the air is scattered by air particles. Shorter wavelengths like blue and green scatter more than the longer wavelength of red and orange. At sunrise and sunset, the path of the light through the atmosphere is longer so no blue and green are visible and only red and orange light the sky. Sunset colors are more brilliant than sunrise because the evening air contains more particles as compared to the morning air.
Sunset in November 2009 in South Carolina?
In November 2009, the sunset times in South Carolina would have varied, but generally occurred around 5:00-5:30 pm. The sunset would have showcased a mix of warm colors like red, orange, and pink against the horizon. The weather conditions and atmospheric elements could have influenced the specific appearance of that day's sunset.
Why does the sun appear yellow while the light it gives off is neutral white?
Sunlight is effectively "white light", and the yellow color is produced by the scattering of light by the atmosphere. This is easily seen near sunrise and sunset, where the additional atmospheric distance and angle make the Sun appear red.
Do red foxes live in Port Washington NY?
Yes i have seen a red fox by the Sousa school after sunset and at sunrise 3 times in the last month
What are the colors you see at sunrise and sunset?
At sunrise and sunset, you can see a range of colors including shades of pink, orange, red, purple, and yellow. These colors are created by the scattering of sunlight in the Earth's atmosphere during these times of day.
