Why are sunsets orange?

1. 1

   Roo says

   Remember how blue light bounces all over the sky? At sunset, the sun is low, so its light has a much longer trip through the air. By the time it reaches you, all the blue has bounced away. Only the reds and oranges are left.

   For ages 4–7
   Hear Roo

   Checked against Why is the sky blue? (NASA Space Place)

2. 2

   Why does red get through when blue doesn't?

   Every colour of light travels in wiggles. A rainbow shows them all in order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Red has the longest wiggles, and violet has the shortest. Long wiggles slip through the air, but short ones keep bouncing off it. So the red gets through, and the blue bounces away.

   For ages 6–10
   Hear Roo

   Checked against Rainbows (Met Office)

In Lil' Phil, reaching the bottom of this wonder earns a sticker for Roo's collection.

• 

  Why is the sky blue?

  Ages 4–11Roo
• 

  How does a rainbow get in the sky?

  Ages 4–11Roo