Autumn and winter sunsets are extra beautiful. Here’s why.

WASHINGTON - Every sunset can be a thing of beauty. But in the eastern U.S., the most intense golden sunsets of orange, pink, and red seem to save themselves for the fall and winter months. Here’s why.

The sun’s position in the sky

During autumn and winter, the sun sits lower in the sky, causing its light to pass through more of the Earth's atmosphere. This increased distance scatters shorter wavelengths of light (blue and violet) and allows longer wavelengths (red, orange, and pink) to dominate.

"Eye-catching sunrises and sunsets also seem to favor certain times of the year," said Stephen F. Corfidi of the NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center in his paper, The Colors of Sunset and Twilight. "In the middle latitudes and over the eastern half of the United States, for example, fall and winter generally produce the most spectacular low-sun hues."

Clean, cool, dry air

Another reason is that the cooler, drier air of winter and fall allows for fewer particles in the atmosphere. This lets more vibrant colors shine through. "Clean air is, in fact, the main ingredient common to brightly colored sunrises and sunsets," Corfidi said.

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