Photo of the Week

Another lovely Wayne County sunset is this week’s featured photo. The photo was taken by Mrs. Debbie Dial at her home in Collinwood. Could there be a more beautiful, warm, and calming photo? Not unless it’s in Wayne County too!

What is the science behind sunsets? It can get a little confusing, especially if you’re not a science enthusiast.

This is what a Google search told us: When the sun sets, its light isn't just grazing the Earth, as seen from where you are, but it's also coming through a lot of Earth's atmosphere. That means a lot of molecules and small particles in the air, which change the direction of light rays. Light is made up of lots of different wavelengths, which is how we see color. Bluer light more easily bounces off molecules in the air, while redder light doesn't. That's because bluer light has shorter wavelengths while redder light has longer wavelengths. The blue light gets more easily scattered, which is why the sky is blue.

So, when you view a setting sun, the more muted beams of sunlight you're seeing are composed largely of longer wavelengths, which are towards the redder end of the spectrum. Meanwhile, the blue light is scattered out of your line of sight. The same thing happens during a sunrise.

The phenomenon of scattering is also why the sky turns red, orange, and pink at sunset. Crucially, clouds can make this effect more dramatic. The science is the same, with short-wavelength blue and violet light scattered by molecules in the atmosphere, while longer-wavelength red, orange, and pink light pass through and hit the clouds. If the clouds aren't there, there's nothing for the colored light to reflect off.

Aside from the science of it, a pink sunset is widely seen as a positive spiritual omen representing love, emotional healing, and renewal. The color encourages a sense of inner peace, helping to release stress, anxiety, or past emotional tension. Many view a pink sky as a sign that positive changes, growth, or good fortune are on the horizon.

The best description and explanation of a pink sunset, or any sunset, for that matter, is plain to see. The sky—including the transition from day to night—reflects God's handiwork, as noted in Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

Psalm 113:3 declares: “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”

Thank you to Debbie for the awesome photo!