Why does the sky go all orange and purple n red n stuff during a sunset/sunrise?

Question

Why does the sky go all orange and purple n red n stuff during a sunset/sunrise?

In: Earth Science

Answer 1

The answer is [Rayleigh scattering](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayleigh_scattering) .

In brief, the molecules in our atmosphere tend to scatter light at the blue end of the light spectrum *more readily* than red light.

That means with the sun high overhead, we see lots of that blue scattered light — it’s hitting our eyes from all directions in the sky.

Around sunset, with the sun low on the horizon, we’re seeing sunlight that’s had to aim “sideways” through a much longer geometrical length of the atmosphere before it reaches us. By the time it gets to us, much of the blue light has been already scattered & left behind. Leaving mainly the reddish end of the light spectrum to illuminate clouds & scatter in the sky at sunset.