Verified Solution Science The Human Eye and the Colourful World

Why does the Sun appear reddish at sunrise and sunset?

2 views 1 helpful Updated Jul 2, 2026
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Answer

At sunrise and sunset, the Sun's rays have to travel a longer distance through the Earth's atmosphere compared to midday. During this longer journey, most of the shorter wavelength blue light is scattered away by the atmospheric particles. The longer wavelength red and orange light, which is scattered much less, reaches our eyes, causing the Sun to appear reddish.

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