what makes the sky pink

The pink color of the sky is caused primarily by the scattering of sunlight as it travels through the atmosphere, especially during sunrise or sunset. When the sun is low on the horizon, its light has to pass through a larger distance of the atmosphere. Shorter wavelengths of light such as blue and violet are scattered out of the direct line of sight, while longer wavelengths like red and orange dominate. The pink appearance occurs when these longer red wavelengths mix with some leftover white light, creating the distinctive pink tint in the sky. Additional factors such as clouds, atmospheric particles, pollution, and humidity can enhance or modify the pink hues seen in the sky. This scattering process is known as Rayleigh scattering and explains why the sky changes color to pink during these times of day.