Sunset

Last Friday evening on my way from work/school I drove into this beautiful sunset. The colors were so vivid, it was certainly a great way to end a hard week. Of course it got me thinking of the science behind it all and I know you are wondering the same thing!!

So here it is...as the light travels from the sun to earth it is considered to be white light and as it travels through the earth's atmosphere a portion of that light scatters off molecules and other particles (dust, air pollution etc). This scattering gives the bright blue color that is visible to us at the surface. A British physicist, Lord Rayleigh, discovered this phenomenon and is known as Rayleigh Scattering. At sunrise and sunset the path through the atmosphere is longer and the shorter blue and green wavelengths are completely removed leaving the longer red and orange wavelengths. When clouds are visible in the atmosphere they also help to scatter light, which is known as Mie Scattering. With out the clouds to scattered the light the horizon at sunset is a light red/orange color while the rest of the sky remains blue.

But enough science! Check out this sunset right outside the cabin...
 

 A few minutes later:

Several minutes later from the porch: