The last couple of days we’ve had some absolute stunners. The sun is mahooooosive in the sky and the colours really really vivid. The old ‘red sky in the morning….” adage no longer seems to apply either

And I love late afternoon/early evening rides this time of year too, as the sunsets are always amazing around now as well.

Is there any meteorological reason for this?

Combination of more atmosphere for the sunlight to travel thru and more pollution in that atmosphere. Go to any of the hills that overlook Manchester at this time of year and you can see a layer of brown smog lying over the city.

Is it somethign to do with refraction/defraction or whatever?

I thought as the sun is lower in the sky it gfets magnified (same with the moon)

As tot he clarity, I thought that was due to the earths tilt towards north where the atmosphere is lss effected by the SW Trade winds filled with sand/gunk and the like from the Middle bit of Europe and North Africa etc..

Could be wrong like, often are.

Nice sunrise:

Nice sunset:

Guess nightshift does have some uses..

It’s because they occur at a time when we’re awake ?

Haven’t noticed them being so great in the last month but the month before was fantastic

And my favourite

Was that last one taken as you lay bleeding in a ditch? 😯

LOL, yeah. I’m still there 🙁

Sunrise near Padstow a couple of weeks ago.

Great pictures! It’s a beautiful time of year, and there’s something really special about being outside watching the sun rise.

Stunning morning here – am tempted to abandon work for an hour or two and head out for a ride.

Just remembered this hazy one I took a few weeks back

When I’m commuting offroad they are stunning, beautiful and set me up for the day, onroad they’re f****ng scary, if I’m having difficulty spotting cars with all that sun in my eyes drivers aint gonna see little ol’ me 😯

These sunrises and sunsets you speak of. They are strategically timed H bombs tests carried out by the Chinese in that Gobi desert.

Some great shots!!! Clubber – are you sort of semi-nocturnal?

Time of the year is because of the angle of the sun in the sky.

And some photos from the last couple of day because everyone else is doing it… I should add I’m on the south west coast of Sri Lanka at the moment!

my girlfriend yesterday

Room with a view

And my current view as I lay here chilling hoping that by the end of this rest period my ankle is strong enough to ride again 🙁

binners – Member
Some great shots!!! Clubber – are you sort of semi-nocturnal?

My wife thinks so 🙂 Young child plus the fact that I don’t need all that much sleep means that the most practical time for me to ride during the week is before work so I get up at 5am, back by 7 a couple of times a week – get the trails to myself and great sunrises 🙂

Scientific answer:

As the sun approaches the horizon its light has to pass through more of the atmosphere. Light at longer wavelenghts passes through this thicker atmosphere more easily making the sun appear orange to red. At this time of the year with the sun low in the sky the sun rises more slowly meaning the effect can be seen for longer.

Real world answer.
At this time of year the sun rises around 7:30 to 8:00am so you are actually up and arounf to appreciate it!

I thought as the sun is lower in the sky it gfets magnified (same with the moon)
That’s not why the moon appears bigger to us – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_illusion