Ever wonder about the beauty of Arizona sunsets?

• The colors seen in Arizona sunsets are a result of light filtered through particles in the air.
• The particles causing the colorful sunsets may be hundreds of miles away.
• Mountains on the horizon provide contrasting images for sunset photos.

It is a long day at the end of a long week. You're headed home, but for the moment you are stuck in traffic.

Sitting there, you look out of your car window and notice the sunset. As the sun dips behind distant mountains, you see spectacular orange and purplish hues with a few high clouds mixed in.

All you can say is, "wow."

Arizonans, as well as visitors, marvel at the desert sunsets. No doubt you have seen postcard images of sunsets (you may have sent a few yourself). Even the state flag features a setting sun.

Have you ever wondered why the Arizona sunsets are so spectacular?

Is it the brown cloud of pollution that sometimes hangs over the Valley? Is it the dry air? Is it the reflection of light off the mountains?

Several factors merge to provide answers.

Keith Meier, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix, said the answer starts with basic physics. He said light is made up of different colors and that particles in the air, such as dust and moisture, can filter out some of those colors.

"In the case of someone seeing an orange or red sky, certain particulates, whether dust or other things in the air, are filtering out the blues in the spectrum of light," Meier said. "So what you see is more oranges and reds and yellows at sunset."

It's not likely that local pollution, or the brown cloud as it is commonly called, has much of an effect on the look of sunsets (or sunrises) in the Valley.

Meier explained that the sunlight seen very early or late in the day is viewed through more of the atmosphere than at midday because of the angle of our spot on Earth in relation to the sun. Because of that angle, the light we see may be filtered through particles hundreds of miles away.

Maybe the answer does not have as much to do with physics as it does with aesthetics. Perhaps what makes Arizona sunsets so memorable is the framing.

Some of the more spectacular images often feature the light being reflected off high clouds.

Chandler photographer David Miller has had his work displayed in magazines and galleries throughout the country.

Miller, who also teaches photography classes for novice photographers, said people looking to capture sunset photos have time to plan their shoot.

"You can predict how the clouds are going and by 3 o'clock in the afternoon you have a good idea if you're going to get a good sunset or not," he said.

Tips for taking photos

of Arizona sunsets

•Do not look directly at the sun. Doing so can cause permanent damage to your vision.

•Scout your location before sunset and get there early. The sun sets faster than most people realize.

•Know your sunset times.

•Watch the sky early in the day. Afternoon clouds can be a clue to picturesque sunset potential.

•Use a tripod if possible.