CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — One could argue that the Coastal Bend has some of the best sunsets on the planet. While that's a matter of opinion, it's a scientific fact that those sunsets appear differently during the colder months. Here's the science behind these spectacular fall sunsets.
Sunlight has a longer path
Sunlight coming from the horizon, has a longer path to travel before it reaches your eyes. This is especially true during the fall and winter, when the earth's obliquity, or tilt, makes that path even longer. While light from the sun's energy appears white, it's actually a mix of colors. Our eyes perceive the different wavelengths of energy as different colors. The longer wavelengths appear yellow, orange, and red.
Less humidity = clearer skies
Remember how light separates into colors when passed through a prism? The same science that explains how rainbows form can explain the rose gold color of sunsets. With less humidity during the colder months, there are fewer water molecules to 'filter' and mute the vibrant sunset glow. This allows the longer wavelengths of light to reach your eyes.
More cold fronts
The front keep crisp, cooler, air over the Coastal Bend neighborhoods, keeping those ideal conditions around longer.
More high clouds
Clouds can be classified by the height at which they occur: low, mid-level, and high clouds. During the hot and humid summer months, we tend to have more of those low-level cumulus and stormy cumulonimbus clouds. In the colder months, we tend to see those clouds less frequently. Instead mid-level altocumulus, or the wispy, high cirrus clouds (made of ice) tend to appear more often. Since these clouds are higher, they make for the best sunset viewing. Forming higher above the horizon, the beautiful, rosy colors reflect along the bases of these clouds, adding to the drama. It also helps that these clouds don't block the sunset view entirely!
Twilight lasts longer
During fall and especially in winter, the sun rises lower in the sky. This is why our days are shorter and also why twilight lasts longer. This means 'golden hour' lasts longer this time of the year!
Driving with sun glare
Perhaps this is the price we pay for the longer sunset views. The lower sun angle can make it difficult to see when driving home in the early evening hours. Here are some tips to help make driving with sun glare safer and easier:
