Color of Iowa Sunsets

At sunset time, the light must travel through more of earth’s atmosphere, resulting in shorter wavelength colors, like blue, being scattered away from the viewers' eyes on the surface of the earth, leaving only the longer wavelength colors to see, such as red and orange. In Iowa, there are also more particles in the air due to the large presence of agriculture. Especially around harvest time, there is an abundant amount of dust in the air which causes what are known as "harvest sunsets."

• What makes sunsets colorful?

• Why is the sky more red at sunset and more blue during the day?
• How is light reflected?

Students could: 

• Complete a notice and wonder activity using the photos. 
• Create a Sunset in a Jar.
• Discuss how are sunrises related to sunsets. 
• Compare pictures of sunsets in different regions with Iowa sunsets.

• Science Learning Hub | Colors of Light: Provides visuals of different colors and their wavelengths.
• Scientific American | Sunset Colors in a Glass: This activity demonstrates how light particles are reflected.
• NASA | Why is the Sky Blue?: Provides an explanation for why the sky is blue.