Articles About Atmospheric Phenomena (17)

What Are Rainbows?

When sunlight hits water droplets, we see a rainbow. How does it work?

Twilight, dawn, & dusk

Learn more about different kinds of twilight, dawn and dusk.

The Golden Hour – When Sunlight Turns Magical

When the Sun is close to the horizon, its light appears warmer and softer. Why is that so? What is the definition of the golden hour? Explanation with photography tips.

Civil Twilight – Civil Dawn & Dusk

Civil twilight is the brightest of the twilight phases. How is it defined and when does it start and end? What are civil dawn and civil dusk?

Northern and Southern Lights

What causes these colorful and dramatic light displays in the sky, and when and from where can you see them?

Nautical Twilight – Nautical Dawn & Dusk

Nautical twilight is the second twilight phase. How is it defined and when does it start and end? What are nautical dawn and nautical dusk?

Astronomical Twilight – Astronomical Dawn & Dusk

Astronomical twilight is the darkest of the twilight phases. How is it defined and when does it start and end? What are astronomical dawn and astronomical dusk?

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Lunar Eclipse: Red Moon

Find out why a totally eclipsed Moon turns a shade of red.

Astronomy Glossary - Terms & definitions

Astronomical Glossary - Terms & Definitions

What do astronomers really mean when they use those technical terms?

Image of a waterfall at night with one bright moon bow and a faint moon bow above it. Dark skies and city lights in the background.

What Are Moonbows?

Moonbows occur when the Moon’s light is reflected and refracted off water droplets in the air.

What Is Dusk?

Dusk generally refers to the transition from sunset to nighttime, and the term is often used as another word for evening twilight. However, science defines dusk on the basis of the angle that the Sun makes with the horizon.

What Is Dawn?

Dawn generally refers to the transition from night to day as the morning twilight brightens the sky. However, there is also a formal definition that refers to specific moments during that transition.

Full moon on the horizon at the end of a dock.

The Moon Illusion

Some days, the Full Moon at the horizon looks larger than a normal Full Moon. Does the Moon really change size or is this an illusion?

The Blue Hour

The blue hour in the morning and evening is a favorite with photographers. How is it defined? When does it start & end? Explanation with times, degrees & photography tips.

Halos, Sundogs and Light Pillars

These are atmospheric phenomena created by the reflection and refraction of light by ice crystals in the atmosphere.

An illustration of the Sun and blue light scattering through the atmosphere to a figure of a woman on Earth and a text explaining, "Daytime, blue light scatters easily in the atmosphere. On the left side is a male figure receiving red and orange scattered

Rayleigh Scattering

Why does the sky turn red during sunrise and sunset?

Zodiacal Light

Also known as false dawn, zodiacal light is a rare optical phenomena that occur around sunset and sunrise in early spring and late fall.