Wildfire Smoke Sunset Time Lapse
Albany Pine Bush Preserve
The wildfire smoke from as many as as 80 wildfires burning across Canada has produced some dramatic atmospherics this week. The smoke's presence has become permanent in the warmer months of the summer in the Northeast and New England. As the summers become drier and hotter, wildfires will continue to color our sky, even thousands of miles from the source.
Wildfire smoke can turn the sun red or give it an orange hue due to a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering. When smoke particles are present in the air, they scatter sunlight in different directions. The smoke particles are particularly effective at scattering shorter-wavelength blue and green light, allowing longer-wavelength red and orange light to pass through more easily. As a result, when sunlight passes through a smoky atmosphere, it appears to be more red or orange in color. This effect is often intensified during sunrise or sunset when the sun's light passes through a larger portion of the Earth's atmosphere, encountering more smoke particles along the way.
