What Causes a ‘Golden’ Sunrise or Sunset?

When the sun is low in the sky, like at sunrise or sunset, its light has to travel through more of Earth’s air. This makes the blue light scatter away, leaving behind a warm golden glow. It's like when you look through a long tunnel, everything seems brighter and warmer.

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Examples

A sunrise over a lake looks like it's painted with gold.
The sky turns orange during a sunset, like a big fire in the sky.
You see red and yellow clouds after the sun goes down.

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Categories: Science · optics,light,atmosphere