On a late summer’s day in the Sound one of the best activities of all is watching the sunset. When the sky is clear, our sunsets here rival those of Hawaii, California, or really anywhere warm! Many people attribute a bright sunset to man made pollution and dust, and while this is somewhat true the actual reason is a little different.

Our eyes will see blue and violet light more clearly because they have a shorter wavelength. Particles in the sky react to this wavelength much more readily. However, as the sun sets there is more air, and more particles, to pass through. This means that the shorter wavelength blue and violet get scattered out before reaching our eyes. Thus, the red, orange, and yellow rays push through and create the vibrant sunsets we see! This process is named scattering.

For a more detailed description of the process, visit: https://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/corfidi/sunset/