If you pay attention to the sun at noon, it will seem white to us. However, admiring the sunset, we often notice that the sun and the sky around it have acquired a crimson, red hue. Why is the sunset red and the sun changing color? In fact, the celestial body does not change its color during the day, our angle of perception changes.
Solar spectrum and atmosphere
Let's try to figure out why the sunset is red (in terms of physics). Many people know that the solar spectrum combines 7 colors (think of the rainbow). And our atmosphere includes a huge amount of aerosol suspensions (fine particles of dust, water vapor), due to which each of the colors is scattered in its own way, different from the other. Red is the worst color for this, and blue and purple are the best for scattering.
Color is basically considered an electromagnetic wave of some length. A variety of waves have a length that differs from each other. The human eye reacts to them through the thickness of the atmosphere that separates the Sun.(light source). When the heavenly body is located at the zenith, the rays are directed to the earth at an angle of 90 degrees (to the place where the observer stands), so we see the sun as white. The thickness of the atmosphere, which affects the refraction of light, is relatively small in this case. White color combines the entire color spectrum.
Why is the sunset red?
During the day the sun gets closer to the horizon. The thickness of the layer of the atmosphere, which the rays of the sun overcome, becomes greater. This contributes to more dispersion. The red spectrum has the largest wave. It is the most resistant to scattering. Therefore, a person watching the sunset sees it in red. The remaining shades are completely absorbed and scattered by particles in the atmosphere.
Why is the sky blue?
Why, for example, is the sky blue? This is also due to light dispersion. The colors of the blue spectrum have short wavelengths and are more likely to propagate through the atmosphere than others. Microparticles of dust and water scatter blue rays, while long waves of yellow, red and other rays are transmitted. That's why we see the sky blue.
Signs related to the sun
Even our ancestors associated various natural phenomena with some events in the future. Since then, there have been various signs that, for example, based on the direction of the winds, the amount of snowfall and rain, can predict what life will be like in the coming year, whether the harvest will be good. The red color of the sunsunset - a physical phenomenon, which in ancient times was given a lot of importance, creating signs associated with it. Here are some of them:
- Sunset, surrounded by many clouds in the form of bands, promises bad weather.
- If a huge cloud covers the sun, and the horizon in the east is copper red or purple, then expect rain.
- On a cloudy day, the bright red sun in the evening before sunset promises prolonged bad weather.
- If on summer days the sunset turns red from the north, then frosts (dew) are expected.
- If the sky turns crimson at dawn, it will rain in a day or two; if at sunrise the sky is decorated with all shades of colors, then bad weather should be expected on the same day.
- When the sunset is clear without clouds and crimson, then expect windy and clear weather.
- If in summer sometimes the sun is red at sunset and sets in a cloud, it will rain.
- If this happens in the winter, then expect a blizzard.
- When the sunset is clear and clear, tomorrow will be the same; if the sun sets in a cloud, then tomorrow the weather will be inclement.
- If the sun shines brightly on Tatyana's day (January 25), then the birds will arrive early; if it snows, the summer will be rainy; if it is sunny and frosty, then the summer will be hot.
- After sunset, you can not cut new bread, otherwise there will be lack of money and quarrels in the family.
- If in the summer the rays from the sun go down in bunches - it will rain.
- If the lizard gets warm in the sun, it will be cold.
Legend of the Sun
There is a beautiful legend about the heavenly body among the people:
Once the Sun had an unusually beautiful flower. In the daytime, the flower was guarded by the servants of the Sun, and with the onset of night, he was left alone, unattended. People had heard about this flower and believed that if someone dares and appropriates it, he will turn into a fabulously rich person. One night, people mercilessly picked a beautiful flower and appropriated it for themselves. When the morning came, the Sun did not find her pet in the garden and was very upset.
Days, weeks passed, but the flower was never there. But one day the Sun in one of the houses saw a red glow. It's a glowing flower! The sun took it for itself, and burned this house with burning rays. For their greed, people paid in full. Since then, when the sun leaves the sky, it takes with it the flower, which, with its radiance, illuminates the horizon with a crimson-red light.
So it became known why the sunset is red. Watching the sun will now be even more interesting. Many of the signs can be trusted today. Try and test each one!
