The Making of Spectacular Sunsets

Juniper Point, Woods Hole, MA

We have all seen spectacular sunsets, but they seem to be particularly brilliant during the fall and winter. As that giant, burnt-orange sphere sinks towards the horizon, have you ever stopped to wonder: why is it that as the air gets crisper, and the days get shorter our sunsets get brighter?

Beach Street Oceanfront, Rockport, MA

The Edgerly Estate on Lake Winnipesaukee, Tuftonboro, NH

Silver Herring Point, West Falmouth, MA

The simple answer is this:

At sunset, light from the sun must pass through more of our atmosphere before reaching our eyes, so it comes into contact with more molecules in the air. These molecules scatter much of the blue light, making the reds and oranges more pronounced. During the fall and winter, weather patterns allow for dry, clean Canadian air to sweep across New England, so more colors of the spectrum make it through to our eyes, producing brilliant sunsets that can look red, orange, yellow or even pink.

Above and below are some of our favorite sunsets over LandVest properties. Where one would be inclined to settle down with a warm mug of cider and watch a painted sky turn to stars.

The Ark, Harvard, MA

Heron Cove, Sedgwick, ME

Little Eskutassis Pond, Burlington ME

To get more information about our properties in Middlesex County, North Shore and Cape Cod, MA; Central New Hampshire; and Maine visit LandVest.com.

For more information about the color of sunsets check out the National Geographic article, Red Sky at Night: The Science of Sunsets.