Why do sunsets and sunrises look so different? Isn’t it technically the same thing?
In: Earth Science
One difference is that a lot of smog and water vapor builds up in the sky during the day, between car exhaust, other pollution, water evaporating from day’s sun and heat… the refraction of light off all these particles in the sky is what causes the vibrant colors. The cooler air and lack of modern activity during the night means less of that stuff in the sky at sunrise.
Sunlight can make some kinds of pollution (often from cars, which are used more during the day) react to form very fine particles in the air. These build up over the course of the day and result in more light scattering, which is why sunsets tend to be more visually impressive. During the night, these particles settle or get blown away, so the air is more clear in the morning.
ELI15: nitrogen oxides from combustion and volatile organic compounds react in the presence of sunlight to form photochemical smog, which scatters light and makes the air hazy. This can also happen with natural sources of chemicals, like terpenes from conifers in the Great Smoky Mountains, so it’s not always linked to pollution.
Keeping it truly ELI5: the air is typically warmer in the evening than it is in the morning, which can affect how moisture and dust are suspended in the air, which affects what we see.
They might look less different than you think – sometimes one will be used for the other during filming!
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