During sunrise and sunset, the sun's light has to travel through a thicker layer of Earth's atmosphere. This causes the shorter, blue wavelengths of light to scatter more, leaving behind the longer, redder wavelengths to reach our eyes. This is known as Rayleigh scattering, which is also responsible for the blue color of the sky.
No, the sun's color remains the same throughout the day. It is the Earth's atmosphere that causes the sun's light to appear red during sunrise and sunset.
The amount and type of particles in the Earth's atmosphere can also affect the color of the sun during sunrise and sunset. For example, if there is more pollution or dust in the air, the sun may appear more orange or yellow instead of red.
Not necessarily. The same process of Rayleigh scattering occurs during both sunrise and sunset, so the sun's color will appear red in both cases. However, the specific shade of red may vary depending on the atmospheric conditions at the time.
While some cultures may have different beliefs about the significance of the sun's color during sunrise and sunset, scientifically there is no proven significance. It is simply a result of the Earth's atmosphere and the scattering of light.