Sunset Memes

Ever see something mind-blowing and immediately try to make it relatable? That's peak human behavior right there! The first sunset ever photographed on another planet, and someone's first thought is "meh, looks like Arizona." The bluish-gray Martian sunset is actually scientifically fascinating! Unlike Earth's reddish sunsets (caused by our atmosphere scattering blue light), Mars does the opposite - its dust-filled atmosphere scatters red light, leaving the blue to reach our eyes. So technically, it looks nothing like Arizona... unless Arizona secretly relocated to another planet when we weren't looking. Thousands of generations of humans looked up wondering about other worlds, and we're the lucky ones who get to see this historic image... only to immediately compare it to the southwestern United States. Priorities!

Imagine spending billions on space exploration just to get the most underwhelming sunset photo ever taken. That bluish-gray smudge with a tiny white dot? That's what we're calling historic? My students turn in better photos after a night of questionable decisions. And yet... there's something profoundly humbling about it. That bland little sunset is happening 140 million miles away on a planet we've only visited with robots. The Sun appears about 60% smaller from Mars than from Earth, hence the disappointing Instagram potential. Next time you're watching a sunset, remember you're experiencing something that connects you to another world. Just be grateful Earth's atmosphere gives us the decency of some color.