Everyone enjoys a beautiful and colorful sunset, but did you know that the most colorful sunsets are the result of air pollution? The colors you see during sunset, especially those dark red hues, are a result of sunlight refracting through particles, or pollutants, in the atmosphere. Some of the most polluted cities in the country, like Los Angeles, New York, and even Atlanta, Georgia, have sunsets that tend to be more red than orange.
According to the American Lung Association, South Carolina ranks 22nd nationally for the amount of emissions in our atmosphere. Ahead of us on that list with more air pollution are California, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee among others. Generally, the most populated areas have more air pollution than rural areas.