The Spectacular Sight of Sunsets and Why They Occur

Sunsets are one of our world's most beautiful phenomena. It is a truly magnificent experience watching the color of the sky change as the sun falls lower and lower on the horizon. I, for one, have always loved watching the sunset outside with my friends, snapping a picture of this ephemeral sight before it disappears. But have you ever wondered what causes the stunning color scheme of a sunset that many of us have come to admire?

The secret behind sunsets lies in the study of light waves. The sun emits electromagnetic waves at various wavelengths all across our solar system. Likewise, Earth experiences all kinds of electromagnetic waves, including waves from visible light, ultraviolet, infrared, radio, x-ray, and gamma-ray spectrums. Waves from the visible light spectrum are among the most essential forms of solar radiation Earth receives as they provide light and heat for life to thrive on our planet.

However, the visible light spectrum also hosts the entire spectrum of colors and is responsible for many of the beautiful phenomena that exist on our planet. The visible light spectrum describes electromagnetic waves that are visible to the naked human eye, hence the name "visible light." Light waves between 380-780 nanometers long belong to the spectrum, and the color purple is associated with the shortest waves, while the color red is associated with the longest waves.

So, how does the color scheme of the sun change as it sets? While the sun's radiation of electromagnetic waves remains relatively constant throughout the course of time, its distance from a given point on Earth changes. During the daytime, the sun is at its closest distance from a given point and is often characterized as yellow. However, as the day progresses, the sun moves further from that same point, changing the wavelengths of light that reach us on Earth's surface. As the sun sets, the shorter wavelength colors (green, blue, and purple) are more easily deflected by dust particles in the atmosphere while the longer wavelength colors (red, orange, and yellow) are still able to reach the Earth's surface. As such, the further the sun gets from a given point on Earth, the more "red" the sky looks, giving us the sunsets that we all love and adore.