Here, we see yesterday’s sunset over Great Cove and Eggemoggin Reach, with the sun disappearing from view behind Deer Isle. Sunsets here are among the best in the colder clear air of winter. Clear air is one of the keys to beautiful sunsets. Dust and other pollution, as well as haze, dull air colors.
Clear air is not the whole story behind a good sunset, however. Basically, when the sun is low on the horizon in our eyes, its light is traveling to us through more air than during the day when the sun is high and closer. The longer the sunlight’s journey to us, the more air molecules it has to scatter. It scatters more violet and blue light out of the illumination that reaches us from far away, leaving more yellow, orange, and, especially, the longer red light waves for us to see. (Brooklin, Maine)