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Re: Sunsets



Here in British Columbia we often have sunsets that are not red.
These are the best ones to watch to see the green flash. In all
cases the air is present, but it doesn't suffice to produce red
sunsets. Dan gives the conventional explanation for the blue of
the sky which I agree is due principally to scattering from the
molecules of air. The question asked pertained to red sunsets,
and the target audience is a biology teacher. I, too, love the
physics, but in this case one must also try to match impedance.

Congratulations, Leigh, for insulting both me and all biology
teachers. The explanation I gave might not be easy for someone
who has never studied physics, but it is fully accessible to
anyone who has taken introductory physics. I thought I'd leave
it to the poster of the question to decide how much to pass on
to this particular biology teacher.

You seem to be claiming that when the air is relatively free of
particulates (which, you claim, occurs frequently where you live),
the sun on the horizon is not only unreddened but also undimmed.
I'm quite skeptical. I'm also unclear on how the blue sky and
the red sunset can be caused by different mechanisms. Whatever
it is that scatters the light, both the long and short wavelengths
have to go somewhere.

Dan