Sun over Phoenix on June 30th...

[HX_Guy]

I happened to go out in the backyard yesterday around 7:00pm to see this...it was almost mesmerizing, like looking at another planet or other object in space.

It was almost like an eclipse in a way...it started out bright, got dark, and then brightened up again. Very strange but cool.

This was taken with no filter, no color correction, no modifications whatsoever.

[Vicelord John]

yup, it's called smoke

[Don B.]

^ It's Phoenix's version of a "marine layer," also known as pollution to the rest of the world. But in California, they call it a marine layer to fool themselves into thinking the air's not as bad as it is due to the actions of 22 million people crowding southern California.

--don

[HX_Guy]

It's from the fire burning around 91st Ave and Buckeye (or somewhere around there).

[loftlovr]

Ha- The Century Plant sure adds to the mystique!
Cool pics

[combusean]

Great shot--what a rare instance for that sort of event in Phoenix! As don pointed out the first thing I thought of when I saw that was how it looks driving into LA.

I'm also reminded of an old Sonic the Hedgehog game where the zone was a oil-polluted refinery wasteland. The sun certainly looked like that.

Hope that's not a harbinger of things to come :/

[PHX31]

Totally sweet. I saw the same thing a few days ago in my backyard and snapped some pictures... I dunno if they came out as good as yours because the camera died and I haven't checked.

[HooverDam]

Important question:

Would this situation effect Superman? He gets his powers from the yellow sun. In this scenario, our sun is still technically a yellow sun, but its been blotted out due to the particulates in the air. Does this adversely effect Superman, or is it not a problem?

[tempedude]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

Important question:

Would this situation effect Superman? He gets his powers from the yellow sun. In this scenario, our sun is still technically a yellow sun, but its been blotted out due to the particulates in the air. Does this adversely effect Superman, or is it not a problem?

hmmmm...not sure...but I'll say that the particulates and smoke in the air isn't a problem. Everyone knows that the only thing that can hurt Superman and take away his powers is Kryptonite.

[BrianSac]

Originally Posted by Don B.

^ But in California, they call it a marine layer to fool themselves into thinking the air's not as bad as it is due to the actions of 22 million people crowding southern California.

--don

That is not true at all. The marine layer can be quite thick and it occurs up and down the entire California coast. There are many many cities and towns on the California Coast that have no or very little pollution. On the immediate coast in Southern California because there is almost always a steady breeze of cool moist air from the west, the pollution levels are not really that bad considering the number of people and cars.

Even in the thickly populated SF Bay Area the air is almost always in the "good' category regarding levels of pollution. It can be anywhere from 50 to 70 degrees and is pure moisture from the very cool/cold Pacific Ocean. The California Current originates in Alaska and flows north to south.

[PHX31]

Yeah, true, there really is a marine layer.

But the inland areas have some bad air quality.

[CANUC]

So is that what the dinosaurs saw before they kicked the bucket?

[FrancoRey]

Yep, and we get to enjoy the same experience because of drastic climate change! Craptacular.

[PHX31]

/\ huh?

It was because of smoke from a brush fire nearby the City started by a lightning strike.