The cause of sunset glow

The cause of sunset glow is closely related to the scattering process of atmospheric optics and natural light. The following will describe in detail several main reasons for the formation of sunset glow.

1, refraction and scattering:

When the sun is below the horizon, the sunlight is refracted and scattered by the atmosphere, so that the light with blue wavelength is scattered to a farther position, while the light with longer wavelengths of red, orange and purple light is scattered relatively less, making the sunset glow appear red and orange.

Gases and particles in the atmosphere will bend and scatter light, especially blue light is easier to scatter, while red light is relatively less scattered. At sunset, the angle of sunlight is more inclined, and the light needs to travel a longer path in the atmosphere, thus increasing the scattering phenomenon. This leads to relatively less blue light, while warm colors such as red, orange and yellow are easier to pass through, forming the color of sunset glow.

2. Particulate matter in the atmosphere:

There are all kinds of particles in the atmosphere, such as dust, smoke, water droplets and other tiny particles. These particles can scatter sunlight and change the wavelength of light. At sunset, sunlight passes through the atmosphere through a longer path and interacts with more particles. Especially in dry and clean areas, the concentration of particulate matter is low, which makes the sunset glow brighter and more beautiful.

3. Turbulence in the atmosphere:

Turbulence in the atmosphere is also one of the important reasons for sunset glow. Turbulence will make the particles in the atmosphere mix constantly, resulting in color scattering. This mixing process will make sunlight repeatedly irradiate and scatter in the atmosphere, thus enhancing the brightness and bright color of the sunset glow.

4. Weather conditions:

The color of sunset glow is also influenced by weather conditions. When there are clouds in the sky, the clouds will reflect and scatter sunlight, thus producing a more colorful sunset glow. Different types of clouds will also bring different colors and shapes to the sunset glow, such as cirrus, cumulus and stratus.

5. Humidity and clouds in the atmosphere:

Humidity and clouds can also affect the formation of sunset glow. When the humidity in the sky is high, water molecules will increase the scattering of light, thus producing a softer sunset glow. In addition, clouds can also reflect, refract and scatter sunlight, making colors richer and more diverse.