Is there a way to tell the difference between sunrise and sunset photos without knowing what time the photo was taken? For example, I’ve heard that sunsets are more likely to appear red compared to sunrises—is that true?
Well, it’s not false. We know this empirically thanks to the approximately one billion sunset and sunrise photos submitted to the CL photo contest every year. We’ve seen plenty of stunning red sunsets and an equal amount of summer sunrise shots with muted tones.
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“Sunrises are usually not very colourful,” says Robert Dick, a long-time astronomy instructor. Space-science time! When sunlight hits the atmosphere, air molecules scatter it in all directions. Blue light waves are short and easily scattered; red and orange light waves are longer and, when the sun is lower in the sky, are more likely to reach our eyes.
A sunset may be especially vibrant compared to a sunrise on the same day because raised dust—from human activity or wind, for example—can scatter blue light even more (leaving more red). Then again, at least in the summer, “there are a few things that could explain why the sun should be red in the morning—relative humidity is higher, and pollen concentration is greater,” says Dick. “I have seen red sunrises as I pack up my telescope after a summer night of observing. So they do happen.”
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When we want to know for sure whether we’re publishing a sunrise shot or a sunset shot, we ask the photographer. And check the photo’s metadata. (We like to be thorough.)
This article was originally published in the June/July 2025 issue of Cottage Life.
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