“Red Sky at Night, Sailor’s Delight; Red Sky in the Morning, Sailors Take Warning.”

You’ve heard this expression before. Sometimes it refers to shepherds rather than sailors. But where did it originate? Is it just a myth?

Proverbs and folklore such as this were ancient ways to understand and forecast the weather. This rhyme is based on thousands of years of meteorological observations suggesting that pleasant weather follows a red sunset.

The first written documentation is in the New Testament, specifically in Matthew 16:2-3. Jesus refers to a red sky as a sign of fair weather in the evening and a sign of foul weather in the morning. It also appears in various literary works, including a William Shakespeare poem "Venus and Adonis," where a red morning sky can foretell disaster for sailors.

Some Light Reading

Sunlight appears white but is composed of all visible colors. The sky appears blue because dust and other particles are much better at scattering blue light and making it visible.

At noon, sunlight passes 65 miles of the Earth’s atmosphere to reach the surface. At sunrise and sunset, sunlight must travel 700 miles to reach the surface! The added distance filters out so much blue light, leaving red, orange, and yellow colors to color the sky.

Weather moves from west to east. The sunrise is typically red when nice weather (a high-pressure system with trapped dust and other particles) is moving eastward. This means that an area of low pressure and deteriorating weather (a cold front and rain) could move in from the west during the daytime. Hence, “Sailor take warning.”

On the other hand, a red sunset tells us the worst of the weather has passed. High-pressure and improving weather are approaching from the west during the night. Hence, “Sailor’s delight.”

The Shot

There was no shortage of dust in the air during my first few days in Saudi Arabia. It added so much depth and visual interest to our images. The dust enhanced even simple photos taken with my iPhone.

This morning, the abundance of dust contributed to an extremely colorful yellow sky sunrise. The silhouette of the mountains created gorgeous crepuscular rays.

Despite a colorful sky this morning, we didn’t “take warning.” Everyone in our group had a phone app that told us the high pressure and pleasant weather would continue.

Technology and urban life have improved society. However, we have lost touch with the deep understanding of nature that once supported us and intrigued us for thousands of years. It is not surprising that we often don't survive for long when we suddenly find ourselves lost in the wild.

Thanks for looking,

Chuck Derus Zenfolio | Chuck Derus