Why Does It Mean If the Sky Is Pink? A Simple Explanation

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Plus, an explanation of the “pink sky at night” sailor’s rhyme

Co-authored by Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: January 27, 2026 Fact Checked

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Pink Sky Meaning

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Scientific Causes

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“Red Sky at Morning”

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Spiritual Meaning

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Why does the sky get pink at night…or early in the morning? We have the answer! And if you’ve ever heard the phrase “Red sky at night, sailors’ delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning,” we’ll explain its meaning, too. The beautiful pink-red glow that sometimes appears in the sky is an optical phenomenon, one that can sometimes indicate oncoming weather. In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into what a pink sky means, what causes a pink sky—even during a storm—and explore the “Red sky at morning” phrase.

What does a pink sky mean?

A pink sky, typically occurring at sunrise and sunset, is an optical phenomenon caused by sunlight scattering across particles in the atmosphere. When there’s a pink sky at night, it can mean there’ll be clear weather the next day; meanwhile, a pink sky in the morning can indicate stormy weather coming from the west.

Section 1 of 4:

Pink Sky Meaning

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A pink sky means that sunlight is scattering through the atmosphere. Pink skies around sunrise or sundown are an optical phenomenon caused by sunlight scattering across particles in the atmosphere. Sunlight travels in different wavelengths, and when the sun is lower in the sky, that light has further to travel. Blue wavelengths of light (which are usually visible) scatter before they can be seen, allowing us to see those red and pink wavelengths of light in the sky instead.^{[1]
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- The sky normally appears blue because blue and violet light have the shortest wavelengths and scatter more easily.
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During storms, pink skies mean that light is reflected in the precipitation. The sky can take on a pink glow during storms—like Iowa’s winter storm in late December 2025. In the case of that storm, the pink glow occurred because sunlight was reflected in the falling snowflakes and scattered across the low-hanging storm clouds.^{[2]
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- Additionally, it’s common to see afterglow in the sky during volcanic eruptions. Dust and ash from the volcano get suspended in the atmosphere, scattering the sunlight to create that red-pink afterglow.^{[3]
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Section 2 of 4:

The Scientific Cause of a Pink Sky

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The sun rising and setting causes the sky to change color. As the sun sets below the horizon (or starts rising above it), the sky appears pinkish, sometimes with hues of orange, red, and purple as well. This effect is called an afterglow (or, in the case of the rising sun, a foreglow), and it happens because of the way the sun’s light is scattered by particles in the atmosphere.^{[4]
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- At sunset and sunrise, the shades of blue we usually see in the sky can’t be seen. That’s because the sun’s lower position causes the blue light to scatter beyond our view.
- Meanwhile, the sun’s lower-frequency red light gets scattered through particles in the air and reflected off clouds, leaving us with those reddish-pink hues in the sky.
We’ve discussed how pink skies at night indicate an incoming high-pressure system, and pink skies in the morning indicate that a high-pressure system has passed. This happens because high-pressure systems trap dust and other small particles in the atmosphere, and those particles are what cause the sunlight to scatter, turning the sky pink.^{[5]
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The Belt of Venus also creates a pink glow in the sky. The Belt of Venus is a pinkish-red glow visible just before sunrise or after sundown—it’s the opposite of the afterglow and foreglow mentioned above. This atmospheric phenomenon is created by the backscattering of reddish light from the rising or setting sun across particles in the atmosphere.^{[6]
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- While its pink light can be seen at any time of the year, you might notice that the Belt of Venus gets brighter and more vivid in the winter. This is because cold air is clearer and less humid, which creates a more stable atmosphere.

Section 3 of 4:

The “Red Sky at Morning” Rhyme

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“Red sky at morning” is an old mariner’s rhyme with many versions. The rhyme is basically an ancient form of weather forecasting. It’s been used by sailors for thousands of years—and, in fact, the first “version” of the rhyme comes from the Bible’s New Testament. Today, there are several different variations of the rhyme:^{[7]
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- One version swaps “pink” for “red”: “Pink sky at night, sailors’ delight. Pink sky in the morning, sailors take warning.”
- Another swaps “shepherds” for “sailors”: “Red sky at night, shepherds’ delight. Red sky in the morning, shepherds’ warning.”
- This one uses the word “forlorn”: “Red sky at night, sailors’ delight. Red sky in the morn, sailors forlorn.”
- In Matthew 16:2-3 (in the Bible), the passage reads: “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather; for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’”
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The “red sky” rhyme predicts the weather for the next day. Maybe you’ve heard the rhyme: “Red sky at night, sailors’ delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.” The idea behind it is that a pink sky at night indicates a high-pressure system coming from the west, bringing calm weather. Conversely, a pink sky in the morning means that the high-pressure system has moved east, and an unstable low-pressure system is moving in from the west.^{[8]
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- Low-pressure systems are atmospheric areas with lower pressure, and they often lead to unstable weather—including storms, winds, and rain.
- That’s why sailors used to use this rhyme: it predicts clear weather after a pink sky at night, or bad weather following a pink sky in the morning.
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The “red sky at morning” rhyme is generally accurate in the United States. It isn’t accurate 100% of the time, because the weather doesn’t come from the west and move toward the east in every part of the world. However, the United States falls in the “mid-latitudes”—a section of the world in which the weather typically moves from west to east. So, in the United States, the “red sky” rhyme is fairly reliable!^{[9]
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- In the mid-latitudes of both hemispheres, winds travel west to east because of the Earth’s rotation.
- In the lower latitudes of both hemispheres, winds actually blow from east to west, making the “red sky at morning” rhyme untrue for those areas.

Section 4 of 4:

The Spiritual Meaning of a Pink Sky

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Pink skies can be seen as a good omen, spiritually. The color pink is typically associated with themes such as love, compassion, hope, joy, romance, and inner peace. So, seeing a pink sky could be seen as a positive sign from the universe, one that promises good things—from new love to personal growth and emotional healing—in the near future.^{[10]
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- Many consider watching a sunrise or sunset to be a peaceful, even inspiring experience. It can be a spiritual experience for some people, too!