Why do Sunsets on Mars and Other Planets Look Different? Understanding the Science behind Different Colored Sunsets

KOMPAS.com – Sunsets on Earth are synonymous with reddish orange. However, it turns out that this view cannot be enjoyed on other planets, for example Mars.

The sunset on the planet Mars is actually blue. Why did it happen?

Also read: Secrets of the Universe, Why are the Dusk and Dawn Skies Orange?

Sunset on Mars

The different colors of the sunset are influenced by the atmosphere of each planet and how atmospheric particles scatter sunlight.

Collect Science AlertWednesday (8/11/2023) Mars’ atmosphere consists mostly of carbon dioxide and only a little nitrogen and a small amount of oxygen.

This means that sunlight has a very different interaction compared to Earth.

When sunlight enters Earth’s atmosphere, it interacts with oxygen, nitrogen, and other particles in the sky, spreading blue light far and wide.

This is what makes our planet blue during the day.

Then, as the Sun dips below the horizon, its light has more atmosphere to penetrate.

This means that most of the blue and purple wavelengths are filtered out by the time the light reaches our eyes, leaving behind the orange and red colors.

But on Mars, sunlight does not interact with oxygen or nitrogen, but rather interacts with iron-rich dust in the atmosphere.

This ultimately spreads low-frequency red light throughout the sky during the day.

Also read: When does the sun set and the process by which it occurs?

But at dusk, the red light filters through and the sky glows blue.

Because sunlight continually hits dust in the Martian atmosphere, this bluish haze can persist for several hours after sunset or sunrise.

Twilight on another planet

Meanwhile, the unique colors of sunsets are not only found on Mars.

“Almost everyone thinks that the colors of the sunset on other planets are the same as those they see on Earth, but that’s not the reality,” said Kurt Ehler, a mathematics professor at Truckee Community College in Nevada, United States.

Launch Live Scienceon Uranus, the sun sets with a gradation of blue to greenish blue.

Then on Titan, one of Saturn’s satellites, the sky changes from yellow to orange and finally brown as the sun sets.

Also read: How Does the Sun Set on the West Side? This is the explanation

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2023-11-12 06:00:00
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