Sunrise or sunset: which is better?

Which has better color, sunrise or sunset?

Sunset on average. Wikipedia says sunset colors are typically more brilliant than sunrise colors, because the evening air contains more particles than morning air (Wikipedia: Sunset). More particles mean more scattering, and more scattering gives the reds and oranges something to light up.

That is a tendency, not a promise. A clear morning with high cloud can beat a hazy evening easily. When a good sunrise happens, it is often cleaner and pinker, with less of the heavy red you see at the end of a smoky day.

What about the light for photography?

Both have a golden hour of low, warm light. The difference is in the mood. Morning light tends to feel crisp and quiet, with mist over water and long shadows across empty streets. Evening light is warmer and more dramatic, and people are more likely to be part of the picture. Each also has a blue-hour twilight, covered in what is blue hour.

Wikipedia notes that the morning counterpart of the afterglow is called foreglow (Wikipedia: Afterglow), so the pink arch before dawn has a name of its own.

Which is easier to plan?

Sunset wins on convenience. You can check the forecast in the afternoon, walk out after work and still be home for dinner. Sunrise asks for an early alarm, a warm layer and a drive in the dark. The trade is that mornings are quieter and often easier on parking and crowds.

• Sunset: check the afternoon forecast, plan your route, leave 30 minutes early.
• Sunrise: check the night before, set the alarm, bring a layer.
• Both: look at the sun's direction so your viewpoint matches the sky.

Does the direction of the sun change what I should shoot?

Yes. At sunrise the sun is in the east, and at sunset it is in the west, which means your best viewpoint is different. A west-facing beach is good in the evening, an east-facing hill is good in the morning. The compass angle also shifts with the seasons, as explained in which direction the sun sets.

Can I get a forecast for sunrise, too?

Yes, but not in the same way everywhere. In Afterhue the free plan shows tonight's Glow Score in full and tomorrow's band. Sunrise forecasts and sunrise alerts are a Pro feature, and the outlook has a switch that moves between Sunsets and Sunrises. The score and its reasons are the same for everyone. The free golden-hour reminder follows the evening.

See outlook and places for the exact limits.

Which one will people see more of in a year?

Most people see far more sunsets. They happen during the waking day, so you meet them by accident. Sunrises usually require intent. That is part of why a year of mixed sunsets and sunrises in your log feels richer. The Sky Strip in Afterhue shows a stripe for each day, built from the chips you made.

Which is better for weather clues?

Both carry clues, in different directions. At sunset you look west, toward the weather arriving in mid-latitudes. At sunrise you look east, toward the weather that has just left. That is the logic behind the old rhyme in our article on red sky at night, sailors delight.

What does the weather do differently in the morning and evening?

Mornings are often still. Overnight cooling can leave mist over fields, fog in valleys and a layer of calm air over water, which turns an ordinary sunrise into a layered scene with soft depth. Evenings carry the leftovers of a day of heating, with more wind, more convective cloud and more haze. That mix is why evening skies can be wilder in either direction, great or flat, while mornings tend toward a quieter kind of beauty.

Neither pattern is a rule. Check the forecast for the specific day and place, and see how often the sky agrees with it.

What gear or preparation differs?

For sunrise, the cold and the dark are the real challenge. Dress warmer than you think you need to, bring a light for the walk, and be in position 20 to 30 minutes before the listed time, since the first glow starts well before the sun appears. For sunset, aim for the same 30 minutes early, but the evening has the advantage of daylight to find your spot.

For both, a phone with a clean lens and a steady surface is the main equipment. The guide to photographing a sunset with an iPhone works just as well at dawn.

Which is better for a keepsake or a year-long log?

A mix. Sunsets will fill most of your log because they are easy, and a sunrise stands out as an event. Afterhue makes a numbered Hue Chip for each photo, with the date, time and city, and a badge that says At sunset when the photo was taken within a window around sunset, and Sky otherwise. A dawn photo therefore appears as a Sky chip, not an At sunset chip.

Who should pick sunrise?

Pick sunrise if you like quiet, want a clean landscape without people, or live somewhere with a west horizon that is blocked by buildings. A rooftop or a seafront with an east view can be a better stage in the morning. Pick sunset if you want the deepest color, easier timing and a chance to share the moment with friends.

Why not do both?

Try a week of each and compare. Rate each evening and morning, take a photo when it works, and look at your chips side by side. After a month you will know which one your sky does better.