Twilight is often red-orange due to the scattering of light by atmospheric particles, which disperse blue and violet wavelengths, thus allowing red and orange colors to predominate.
Rayleigh scattering is a matter of size: when sunlight passes through our atmosphere, it encounters a whole bunch of small air molecules (mostly nitrogen and oxygen). These molecules are so small that they scatter the colors of shorter wavelengths (especially blue and violet) in all directions, a phenomenon known as Rayleigh scattering. That's why the sky appears blue most of the time: the scattered blue fills the upper sky during the day. But when the sun sets and approaches the horizon, its light has to pass through much more air before reaching our eyes. As a result, almost all the blue has already been scattered elsewhere, mainly allowing longer wavelengths like red, orange, and yellow to come through, which give us beautiful colorful sunsets.
Aerosols are tiny particles floating in the air, such as dust, sea salt, or even pollution. When sunlight encounters these particles, it scatters differently depending on their size and composition. The more aerosols the sky contains, the more intense the scattering becomes: this amplifies the reddish and orange hues, creating particularly impressive sunsets. For example, a region rich in pollution or dust from a volcano or desert will display a twilight sky with vibrant colors, much more pronounced than in a place with very clean air.
At twilight, the sun is lower on the horizon, causing its light to pass through a much thicker layer of atmosphere than during the day. The longer this journey is, the more the air absorbs and scatters the sunlight. As a result, the majority of the short wavelengths (blue and violet) are scattered elsewhere, leaving mainly the shades of red, orange, and yellow to reach our eyes. You can imagine this as an obstacle course: the longer it is, the more only certain colors will make it to the destination. That's why the sky takes on those warm hues that we love to photograph.
Vivid colors at dusk vary greatly depending on the amount of humidity in the air or the presence of clouds. A clear sky often leads to richer and brighter tones at the end of the day, while on days when the air is humid or misty, the diffusion of light changes, creating softer and more diffused tones. The same goes for dust or pollutants: the more there are, the more vibrant and pronounced the light becomes, sometimes leaning towards a deep red. The presence of large clouds can create dramatic contrasts, their edges illuminated with fiery hues while their interiors remain dark. Even the landscapes play a role: being near the ocean or surrounded by mountains alters the way you perceive these colors, either enhancing or softening their shades.
Near the equator, the sun sets more quickly and the path traveled by light through the atmosphere remains shorter: the colors of twilight there are often briefer but vibrant, with marked shades of yellow, bright orange, and intense red. At higher latitudes (such as toward the poles), twilight stretches out in length because the sun follows a more inclined path below the horizon. As a result, the hues are soft and prolonged, varying between pale pink, mauve, and delicate orange. In these places, the spectacle can last for hours, especially in summer, offering colorful yet subtle skies.
The term 'golden hour' refers to the period shortly after sunrise or just before sunset, during which sunlight passes through the atmosphere more extensively, producing warm colors that are ideal for artistic photography and films.
Volcanic particles or those from large wildfires can intensify the red-orange colors of twilight, thereby creating spectacular landscapes over hundreds, or even thousands, of kilometers.
On Earth, at high altitudes or in very clean and cold regions, the twilight sky tends to be more violet and pink due to a different scattering of light in an atmosphere low in particles.
The Rayleigh scattering, responsible for the blue color of the sky, also explains why shadows cast outdoors under a clear sky appear slightly blue. The sky acts as a large diffuse blue light source.
Indeed, latitude has a significant impact. The closer one gets to the poles, the longer twilight can last, thereby extending the time window to observe complex and nuanced colors in the sky. In contrast, near the equator, sunsets occur rapidly, often providing an intense but brief spectacle.
At the equator, the sun descends almost perpendicularly to the horizon, which reduces the time needed for its rise or set. In contrast, at higher latitudes, the sun follows a much more oblique angle, which extends the duration of twilight and provides more time to observe the changing colors of the sky.
Sure! Here’s the translation: Yes. Atmospheric particles and aerosols from pollution, dust, or even volcanic eruptions modify the colors observed during sunset. These particles absorb and scatter sunlight differently, often intensifying the red-orange hues of twilight, while sometimes making the colors deeper and more spectacular.
The pink or purple hues typically appear when the atmosphere contains certain specific particles, combined with particular weather conditions. The presence of dust or water droplets in the upper layers of the atmosphere allows for the specific diffusion and blending of red, blue, and violet colors, resulting in unique pink or purple tones at sunset.
Absolutely. Weather conditions play a crucial role in the nuances and vibrancy of twilight colors. For example, when the air is clear and dry, sunsets tend to be soft yellows and oranges. In the presence of humidity or thin clouds, red and pink colors become more pronounced and intense. Conversely, an overcast sky generally reduces the visibility of bright colors.
During the day, the Earth's atmosphere scatters shorter wavelengths of light, primarily blue, due to a phenomenon known as Rayleigh scattering. In contrast, at dawn or dusk, light has to pass through a greater thickness of the atmosphere, which enhances the scattering and attenuation of blue light, allowing mainly red and orange tones to reach our eyes.
0% of respondents passed this quiz completely!
Question 1/5
