What does a red sun mean?
AN OLD way of predicting the weather while out at sea could be a good indicator of what weather we should expect to come.
The saying goes: "Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning! A red sky at night, a sailor's delight."
Where does a red sun come from?
If you've noticed that the sun looks red where you live, you're likely experiencing the effects of smoke in the sky from the wildfires currently ravaging California.
We'll get into the science of it all momentarily, but essentially, the smoke and plumes from the fire burning can get tossed up high into the atmosphere and be sent on a one-way ticket whichever way the wind blows.
The amount of dust in the air, even at altitudes so high that they look like clouds, can cause different effects on the sky.
When the sky is dull, but the sun looks bright red, it's because there is so much dust in between your field of vision and the sun that only longer waves of sunlight can be filtered through it.
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Longer wavelengths appear in red, hence why the sun appears red, even when the rest of the sky may be darker.
What's the difference between a red sky and a red sun?
The sky often appears red in the morning or evening, based on the weather conditions.
When sunlight enters the atmosphere, it arrives in a prism of colors (think of how the rainbow looks after it's just rained).
The shorter wavelengths bounce directly to the water and back up, causing the sky to appear blue, while longer wavelengths must be filtered through water vapor and dust particles in the atmosphere.
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If there is enough water vapor and dust in the air, the wavelengths will send red light through rather than blue.
A red sky indicates a high volume of moisture particles and dust, in which red wavelengths break through the atmosphere.
A red hue in the night sky comes from a setting sun that sends its light through a high concentration of dust particles.
According to Nolan Group Media, it usually indicates "high pressure and stable air coming in from the west," leading to good weather on the way.
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What does a red sky at sunrise mean?
According to Nolan Group Media, it could indicate that good weather has passed (high-pressure system) but that storms are approaching (low-pressure system) through the east.
Seeing an intense red morning sky could signify that the atmosphere is filled with water and a great chance of rain is on its way.