What is pink skies?

Pink Skies: A Phenomenon of Light and Atmosphere

Pink skies, often seen during sunrise and sunset, are a captivating visual phenomenon resulting from the scattering of sunlight by the atmosphere. Several factors contribute to this beautiful display:

• Rayleigh Scattering: This is the primary mechanism. As sunlight enters the atmosphere, shorter wavelengths of light (blue and violet) are scattered more effectively than longer wavelengths (red and orange) by air molecules and small particles.

• Sun Angle: When the sun is low on the horizon (sunrise or sunset), sunlight travels through a greater distance of the atmosphere. This increased path length causes almost all of the blue and violet light to be scattered away, leaving the longer wavelengths of red and orange light to dominate.

• Aerosols: The presence of particles such as dust, pollution, smoke, and sea salt in the atmosphere can enhance the effect. These particles scatter light in a more complex way than air molecules alone, and their presence can contribute to the intensity and vibrancy of pink and red colors.

• Cloud Cover: Clouds can also play a role. When sunlight passes through clouds, it can be scattered and reflected, further enhancing the colors. High-level clouds, in particular, can create stunning pink and red displays by reflecting the already-filtered light from the setting or rising sun.

• Air Pollution: Although generally bad, pollution can sometimes amplify the pink color in skies. This is because some pollutants can scatter light in a way that enhances the red and orange hues.