2007-02-07 04:06:55 · 8 answers · asked by trixi 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
During the day, we see the Sun through a relatively thin layer of the atmosphere, about 80 to 100 miles total.
A lot of the light from the Sun is reflected off the oxygen in the atmosphere, which gives the sky its blue color. This means that some of the blue light is being removed from the sunlight we see, and the color is shifted to the yellow part of the spectrum.
When the Sun goes below the horizon, we are seeing it through a lot of atmosphere -- two or three times as much as when the Sun is overhead. In addition, the atmosphere is denser at lower level, and more blue light is being scattered. What we see is sunlight with almost all of the blue light removed, and all we see are reds, oranges, and yellows.
2007-02-07 04:14:59 · answer #1 · answered by Stephen S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is the flip-side of the "why is the sky blue" question.
The simplest answer is that dust scatters light, and red light is scattered more than blue. So if light of all colours comes through air that has dust particles in it, the bluest light would be the light coming straight at you, and the reddest would be the light that reaches you "from the side". When the sun is high in the sky, most of the light reaching your eyes from the atmosphere through which the light passes would be the less-scattered, blue light. When the sun is below the horizon, it is the most-scattered light that is reaching your eyes: red. So that's why sunsets are red.
Incidently, the little rhyme "red sky at night, sailors (or shepherds, or farmers) delight" is supported by this explanation in regions where the predominant wind is from the west (northern US, Canada). The dustier and drier the air is in the west, the redder the evening sky. So red sky at night means dry weather coming your way.
2007-02-07 04:19:16 · answer #2 · answered by Rob S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The light from the sun has to come through a lot more atmosphere from the horizon. That filters out more of the other colours.
2007-02-07 04:41:28 · answer #3 · answered by R.E.M.E. 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At sunset, the light has to travel further through our atmosphere to reach you & the dust in the atmosphere tends to block out the green & blue parts of the spectrum, so the light appears pinkish.
2007-02-07 04:11:33 · answer #4 · answered by Well, said Alberto 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the old saying "pink sky at night sheperds delight, pink sky in the morning sheperds warning. meaning snow
2007-02-07 04:12:32 · answer #5 · answered by brod_dj 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
because pink is part of the red colour scale
orange
yellow
etc.
2007-02-07 06:11:00 · answer #6 · answered by liam0_m 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its bi-sky
2007-02-07 06:27:37 · answer #7 · answered by Alex 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's the gin wot does it every time.
2007-02-07 21:29:32 · answer #8 · answered by los 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋