why is the sun red today

The sun appears red today mainly because of smoke particles in the atmosphere, likely due to ongoing wildfires in Canada. These smoke particles scatter shorter wavelength blue light more than longer wavelength red light. As a result, more of the red and orange hues from the sun's light reach the observer, making the sun look red. This scattering effect is similar to why the sun appears red during sunrise and sunset when sunlight passes through more atmosphere. The red sun effect today is caused by smoke carried by upper- level winds from Canadian wildfires into the region, which scatters blue light out of the direct path, leaving predominantly red light visible. This phenomenon not only affects the sun's color but can also lead to hazy skies and reduced air quality in affected areas.