![]() For centuries, some of the most celebrated artists in the world have produced works that focused solely on the beauty of sunsets. The cirrostratus clouds are made of hexagonal ice crystals which bend light, creating sundogs and other atmospheric optics such as the 22-degree halo.Ī Sundog is an optical phenomenon that appears as a bright spot on each side of the Sun.Nature has long been the source for many artists’ inspiration when it comes to producing works that are brimming with color and brightness. Sundogs most often form when there are cirrostratus clouds covering the sky and the Sun is near the horizon. A sundog (also called a mock sun or parhelia) is a brightly colored spot that appears along one, or both, sides of the Sun. Sundogs are brightest in winter because ice crystals are more common, but can be seen at other times of year as well. As with red sunsets, the unusual Moon coloration might be pleasing to the eye, but it is a sign of poor air quality. The full moon in the fall, called the Harvest Moon, often appears orange because of the extra dust particles in the sky. In the fall, when many farmers harvest their crops, more dust is suspended in the air. In certain climates, the air tends to be dustier during the summer months, due to hot, dry weather. Why Does the Sky Look Different Throughout the Year?Ĭertain times of the year tend to have more aerosols in the air than others, which leads to more colorful skies. Though the result can be spectacular to observe, it is also an indication of increased air pollution. The most heavily polluted cities in the world also tend to have more orange and red sunsets, resulting from an abundance of human-made aerosols. Intense red sunsets are often visible when forest fires are burning nearby, or when volcanic eruptions happen. UCAR How Does Air Pollution Affect Sunset Colors? When there are more particles in the air, more light is scattered, and the colors are enhanced. The stunning colors result from particles in the atmosphere scattering light from the Sun. Vivid sunset over NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida (U.S.). This results in more scattering of light, including longer wavelengths such as yellow, orange, and red, which creates colorful sunrise and sunset skies. During sunrise or sunset, when the Sun is close to the horizon, the light must travel through more of the atmosphere than it does when the Sun is overhead. ![]() The angle of sunlight as it enters the atmosphere also affects the color of the sky. All wavelengths of visible light together make up white light. The visible light region of the electromagnetic spectrum is made up of different sized wavelengths of light. Because blue light is scattered more than other colors of light, the sky appears blue. Blue light is scattered more than other colors of light because of its shorter, smaller waves. Light bounces off of air molecules in the Earth's atmosphere, scattering in all directions. Red light has long wavelengths, while blue light has short wavelengths. Sunlight travels as waves of energy, and different colors of light have different wavelengths. It appears as white light when all the colors are together. ![]() ![]() Sunlight is made up of all the colors of light. Consequently, when there are more aerosols in the atmosphere, more sunlight is scattered, resulting in more colorful skies. Nitrogen and oxygen make up most of the molecules in our atmosphere, but any gas or aerosol suspended in the air will scatter rays of sunlight into separate wavelengths of light. This process is called Rayleigh scattering. The colors we see in the sky come from sunlight that is scattered by molecules in the atmosphere.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |