AUSTIN (KXAN) — Meteorologist Nick Bannin explained what made the sun so red Friday morning.        

Bannin said the cause was some Saharan dust and the addition of some low clouds early in the day. The result was the red sun.

When the sun is low on the horizon, at either sunrise or sunset, the sun’s rays have to travel through more atmosphere to get to your eyes than they do during the middle of the day. That atmosphere Friday morning had Saharan dust and patchy low clouds in the way.

Because blue and violet light have shorter wavelengths, they are scattered away before reaching your eyes when they travel through dust and other pollutants — that leaves you with a reddish-orange light that is left unscattered over that longer distance.