What causes the sun to seemingly shine differently at sunrise than sunset?
In: Planetary Science
I believe, and this is an over simplified version of my understanding, it has to do with particles in the air and the temperature.
The air is hot at night and cool in the morning. These temperatures cause the density of the air, the relative humidity, and winds all very different during these times. These things have an effect on the light that is refracted through the atmosphere.
There are probably more things but the biggest factors are the stuff in the atmosphere being very different due to the temperature.
Psychology is the major difference. They’re the same in reality, but in reverse.
Our brains are easily biaised, and there is an emotional difference from dark to light, and light to dark….
As a navigator in the merchant marine, I’ve seen thousands of sunrise and sunset, and believe me they are identical phenomena reversed of each other.
Sunrises are a bit more huyyi, since your eyes are used to the darkness and so you perceive more pinkish pastels (In my opinion). Whilst sunsets are darker reds and oranges since your eyes are used to the light…
My admittedly unknowledgeable thought is that the air is typically cooler and filled with fewer particles in the morning vs. the afternoon after the air has heated up all day. This makes sunrise light feel cleaner and sharper than hazier sunset light.
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