Eventide- 23

Alpenglow!

We have heard about the ‘afterglow’ very often.
The afterglow is an intense red or golden glow of the western atmosphere long after sunset, when most twilight colors might have disappeared.
I was curious to know about the glow seen in the eastern sky after sunset and got this information that I am sharing here, along with my photographs.
This glow is ‘Alpenglow’!
During sunset on clear evenings, the atmosphere around the horizon opposite of the Sun appears as shades of orange and pink. The pink color is due to the sunlight that is shining through denser atmosphere near Earth’s western horizon, and reflecting off the atmosphere on eastern side. This reflection back towards the observer is called backscattering. It creates a pink and orangish stretch near the eastern horizon. The same light is often seen on mountain tops at sunset and hence the term ‘Alpenglow’.

San Francisco Financial district in the foreground

Alpenglow on the south-eastern side of the Golden Gate Bridge