Book 8, Question 58
Why Does the Red Planet Have Blue Sunsets?
Mars has blue sunsets because its fine dust scatters light in a different way than Earth's air! Rusty iron dust makes Mars look red. But that same fine dust scatters light so the sky near a setting Sun glows blue.
More fun facts
- Mars is called the Red Planet because its soil contains iron oxide, which is like rust.
- In the daytime, Martian dust soaks up blue light, which helps give the sky its reddish color.
- The blue glow shows up best at sunrise and sunset, when sunlight passes through the most dust.
- On Earth, it works the other way: air molecules scatter blue light away, so our sunsets look red.
- NASA's Curiosity rover has photographed Martian dawns, sending back views of sunrises on another planet.
Sources: NASA Science, NASA Science, NASA
Questions kids ask
What color is the sky on Mars during the day?
It looks reddish, because dust in the air soaks up blue light.