Time lapse Sunset in Atlantic Beach, NC
Time Lapse Sunset in Atlantic Beach, NC
The sandy beaches along the Crystal Coast is the top tourist attraction for vacationers travel to the coast of North Carolina. As soon as the sun rises, people take to the beaches to claim their spot, search for shells, get their heart racing for a morning jog or to watch the sun start it’s day. Days where the sun is beaming it’s rays on the coast,  expect to see people enjoying the sandy shores from Emerald Isle to Atlantic Beach from sunrise to sunset.  When the day comes to a close, everyone begins packing up their chairs, tents and toys until tomorrow and the sun sets over the North Carolina coast, you should just stop for a moment and take in one of the most peaceful times on our coast – sunset. Sunsets over the Atlantic Ocean are unique to our South facing beaches. Not many people have the opportunity to watch the sun set over the ocean, so while you are vacationing in Emerald Isle, NC or renting a beach house in Atlantic Beach, NC plan your evening around relaxing and enjoying the evening show the sun puts on for us.
Lets get a little scientific for a second. Here are some fun facts about sunsets courtesy of TheOdysseyOnline.com
5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Sunsets
1. Sunsets happen because of the Earth’s atmosphere
If the Earth was airless like the moon, then the sun would look the same as it is dropping behind the horizon. But due to our 300 mile atmosphere, we get the scattered effect of light as the atmosphere acts as a prism.
2. The sun starts to lose color as it sets
As the sun starts dropping to the horizon it starts to lose its blue wavelength hues, then its green and yellow hues, and eventually orange, leaving only red wavelengths. That is why the sun at the end of a sunset will look like a ball of fire.
3. By the time you see the sun set, it’s actually gone
Have you ever been told that some of the stars you are looking at are already dead because of the time it takes the light to travel? Well the same thing sorta happens with the sun, except the sun doesn’t die every night. Again thanks to our atmosphere, which bends light, we are able to see the sun setting. If this is a little confusing, please look at the picture below.
4. Pollution causes those prettier sunsets
Smoke particles are great for filtering out colors, leaving pinks, reds, and oranges become more vivid. But if pollution gets too high, the sky will just look hazy, leaving a murky sunset that no one really appreciates. Thankfully our less populated county does not have the pollution that larger cities and towns have.
5. “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in morning, sailor’s take warning.” This quote is actually true.
The bright, red, pure colors at night mean that the air is clear to the west and will be good weather in the morning. A red sky in the morning means that good, high pressure weather has already passed meaning low pressure weather (storms) will be coming to the east.
