I love producing breathtaking photos, but I’m also captivated by the science that underwrites such beauty.  The colors of vivid sunsets result from the scattering phenomenon which means that molecules and small atmospheric particles change the direction of light rays, causing them to scatter.  That influence affects the color of the sky’s light, but the real details are determined by light wavelength and particle size.  Short wavelength colors of blue and violet are scattered more readily by those molecules than other colors on the spectrum; that is why blue and violet light reaches our eyes from all directions during clear weather.  However, our eyes aren’t as proficient at detecting violet, therefore the sky to us appears blue.

When the sun is dropping low on the horizon, sunlight passes through more air than during the day.  More atmosphere means more molecules to scatter the violet and blue light from our eyes.  If the path that light travels is long enough, it will scatter the violet and blue light completely out of our line of sight while reds, yellows and oranges dominate what we are able to see during sunset.  A final note: red has the longest wavelength of any visible light.  That’s why the sun is so red in these images; it’s traveling an extremely long atmospheric path that blocks out all other colors – colors that are still present, but we just can’t see them.

Science aside, enjoy the beautiful pictures of Belgian mare, Harriet, against the blazing Iowa sunset, one enhanced by the local corn harvest that is flinging a plethora of particles into the atmosphere.