Clouds of the Day - Red Sunset - Sunday, March 3, 2024

Sunlight contains all the colors of the rainbow, which appear white when all the colors are mixed together. But molecules of air scatter blue light more than other colors so our sky appears blue. When the Sun is near the horizon (sunrise and sunset) the distance the light travels through the atmosphere is longer than when the Sun is overhead. Dust and other particles in the air will screen out the shorter wavelengths of sunlight, such as the blue and green colors, leaving the red and magenta tones. In the sunset photo below the red sky is due red being scattered more than other colors. There are hints of orange and magenta in this photo too.