Sunsets on Maui are a big deal- they are one of the main events of the day. People can be seen all over the island, pulling off the road, and just leaning up against their cars to watch another epic sunset. The brilliant and dramatic colors are the result of a myriad of conditions which can only be found in the Hawaiian Islands. Water vapor, dust, and other gases in the atmosphere spread and magnify the blue and violet light colors in the sky. These colors combine with the other wave-lengths/colors of light which all bounce and reflect off the mist. This is how the piercing blue of our sky, particular to Hawai’i, is created. Volcanic dust from the island of Hawaii’s* active volcano migrates up high in the atmosphere. During the day, the particles are spread from the east to the west with our faithful tradewinds, an event which also enhances the sunsets. This is what makes the sunsets more dramatic than sunrises. mild temperatures draw a lot of water vapor and humidity from the surrounding ocean into the air. This increased humidity helps to intensify the sunset and sunrise colors. Being the furthest away from any landmass on earth, there is little atmospheric disturbance, PLUS, the horizon is unobstructed. This, and the sun’s perfect angle over the water makes Maui’s sunsets as good as it gets
