The Quality of Light – “Warmth”
Sunsets in Hawaii are spectacular. The islands’ sunsets attract tourists from all over the world for their stunning and vibrant colors and because Hawaii is one of the best places to see the green flash. Hawaii is likelier to have an ideal combination of conditions that produce vivid colors.
The Sunsets Change Colors
Due to dust, water vapor, and other gases in the atmosphere, the sky appears blue during the day. Compared to red lightwaves, blue lightwaves scatter ten times more intensely. At sunrise and sunset, sunlight passes through more layers of the atmosphere before reaching our eyes, causing more scattering. A steeper angle means you will see more orange, pink, and red colors the lower the sun is on the horizon, according to Science Notes.
Hawaiian Sunsets Are Special
All sunrises and sunsets have the potential to be colorful, but Hawaii gets an added boost:
- As a result of volcanic dust high in the atmosphere, scattering is enhanced. Kilauea has been erupting on Hawaii’s Big Island since 1983. That’s a lot of volcanic dust and vog! As a result of the trade winds blowing over the island from East to West, sunsets are often more colorful than sunrises.
- The geography of Hawaii is also helpful. The islands are located in the Northern Hemisphere 20° north of the equator and 155° west of the Prime Meridian. As a result of its location, the islands enjoy balmy temperatures year-round, which causes them to produce a lot of water vapor. Humidity enhances color intensity by scattering light.
- Sunset occurs over the Pacific Ocean, far from any land mass that may disturb the atmosphere or cause the horizon line to break. As good as it can get, a sunset over water has the best angle.
Hawaii Sunsets Gallery
