Why the sun appears red at sunrise and sunset?

Question

Answer

Answer

During sunrise and sunset, the rays have to travel a larger part of the atmosphere because they are very close to the horizon. Therefore, light other than red is mostly scattered away. Most of the red light, which is the least scattered, enters our eyes. Hence, the sun and the sky appear red.

( Reference : Times of India )

Answer

Introduction:
The sun appears red at sunrise and sunset due to a phenomenon known as Rayleigh scattering. This process occurs when sunlight passes through the Earth's atmosphere and is scattered in all directions.

Rayleigh Scattering:
Rayleigh scattering is the process by which light is scattered by particles in the atmosphere. The shorter wavelengths of light, such as blue and violet, are scattered more easily than longer wavelengths, such as red and orange. This is because shorter wavelengths are more easily absorbed and scattered by the particles in the atmosphere.

Atmospheric Composition:
The Earth's atmosphere is composed of various gases and particles, including oxygen, nitrogen, water vapor, and dust. These particles are responsible for scattering the sunlight and causing the sky to appear blue during the day. However, at sunrise and sunset, the angle of the sun's rays causes the light to pass through more of the Earth's atmosphere. This means that more of the shorter wavelengths of light are scattered, leaving the longer wavelengths to dominate. This is why the sun appears red or orange at these times.

Path Length:
Another factor that contributes to the sun's red appearance at sunrise and sunset is the path length of the sunlight through the atmosphere. The longer the path length, the more the shorter wavelengths of light are scattered. This means that at sunrise and sunset, when the path length is longest, the sun appears even more red or orange.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, the sun appears red at sunrise and sunset due to a combination of Rayleigh scattering, atmospheric composition, and path length. These factors work together to scatter the shorter wavelengths of light and allow the longer wavelengths, such as red and orange, to dominate. This creates the beautiful and striking colors that we see in the sky at these times of day.

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