Why does the Sun appear red at sunset and sunrise?

Correct answer: C. The sun's rays have to pass through a larger distance in the atmosphere. Most of the blue and other shorter wavelengths are removed by scattering and red light enters our eye

  • A. At the time of sunset, fusion reactions of the Sun are so intense that the color of the Sun's flame changes from yellow to red
  • B. The Sun has sides of different colors similar to the Moon's dark and bright side. Hence, at sunset, we are facing the red side of the Sun
  • C. The sun's rays have to pass through a larger distance in the atmosphere. Most of the blue and other shorter wavelengths are removed by scattering and red light enters our eye
  • D. Plants release red chemicals at the time of sunset which diffuses into the sky and fluoresces, giving the sky a red color

Explanation

When the Sun is setting, the light that reaches you has had to go through lots more atmosphere than when the sun is overhead, hence the only color light that is not scattered away is the long-wavelength light, the red.

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