The Color Mystery of Martian Sunsets

1 min read
Source: IFLScience
The Color Mystery of Martian Sunsets
Photo: IFLScience
TL;DR

The blue sunsets on Mars are caused by the scattering of sunlight on the dust particles in its tenuous atmosphere, which allows blue light to pass through while scattering red light. This is the opposite of Earth, where blue light bounces off air molecules, giving our sky its characteristic hue. Mars's atmosphere is composed of carbon dioxide and has a lot of dust, which scatters red light and creates a cool blue hue during sunsets. Mars and Earth are unique places where atmospheric color changes at dusk and dawn can be observed.

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