Did you notice how fire red last night’s sunset over Greater Victoria?
According to Environment Canada, wildfire smoke from several out of control fires in Washington state, Idaho and the BC Interior is creating hazy skies across much of southern Vancouver Island.
The haze is expected to stick around all weekend and into next week.
As of this publication, there are currently eight wildfires burning on Vancouver Island.
The current air quality is at 3 which is considered low risk.
This smoky haze had many snapping photos of a red sun either rising or setting in the sky.
Why does the sun look so red? The short answer is it’s same reason the sky looks blue on a clear day – the absorption of sunlight.
The smoke filters out shorter wavelengths of light, leaving mostly red and orange wavelengths to shine through and be seen by the naked human eye.
The sun is also dimmer, because the smoke scatters the light, a common phenomenon for both wildfires and volcanic eruptions.
But why is this bright red sun especially vibrant in the morning and evening?
Sunset and sunrise are often most vibrant with smoke in the atmosphere because the red and orange hues are accentuated more, and in-turn more pronounced.
And this weekend’s forecast looks like these smoky skies will continue to stick around.
So make sure to have the camera out for tonight’s sunset!
