For eons, humans have been awed by and have speculated upon the nature of clouds. Our intrigue has provoked entirely scientific investigations and also pursued the unmeasurable, infinite qualities of clouds that float in our imaginations and colors that shine through them. Of all the colors of clouds, pink clouds stand out. They occur at sunrise and sunset, as the sun approaches or recedes from the horizon. Light from the setting sun has to pass through a thick column of atmosphere to reach a cloud, which means the light has been refracted, reflected, and scattered a great deal before it gets to the cloud. The investigation of pink clouds and what makes them so special can take two paths: scientific and cultural.
To know how it is that clouds can appear pink, one must first know how it is that clouds are formed in tandem with the basic physics behind the scattering of light. Who knew that a mere shallow understanding of optics could paint the skies with colors so stunning that they induce Instagram posts? But why not? The cloud has a role in this too. They are the canvases for the colors. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. When we fully grasp how and why it is that these colors appear, we can appreciate the day’s good fortune that allows for the phenomenon to present itself.
The presence of aerosols and pollutants can increase this effect, causing them to scatter even more light and, therefore, color the sky. The different kinds of clouds that form in our atmosphere can also catch light in unique ways, making some clouds look more colorful than others. Among the different kinds of clouds, cumulus clouds have a special ability in this regard. Their puffiness gives them a depth that few other types of clouds have, which allows them to reflect more light and, consequently, look even more colorful against the darker evening sky. Of all the colors painted upon the clouds at dusk, pink seems to be the shade that elicits the most awe and wonder.
Across cultures, pink clouds have conveyed numerous meanings throughout history. They have often been seen as symbols of beauty and of life’s fragile, fleeting nature—traditions that many of us probably still hold to today. But as we often do here, I would like to take a pink cloud and turn it inside out. I would like to see what it has to say about different meanings and African American life, in particular, and if those different meanings could be some kind of sign in terms of being a pink cloud in our communities.
In the realm of literature, pink clouds are used almost exclusively as metaphors for happiness and the transient quality of time. When poets refer to clouds, they are almost always using them as symbols of the big, beautiful, and very temporary aspects of nature. Take, for instance, the recent evocation of pink clouds by Billy Collins in his poem "Days." The former poet laureate of the United States conjures the image of pink clouds at sunset as something he and every man must revere, if only because it is part of the beauty and secret keys to the present moment that men are so bad at remembering.
Clouds tinged pink can evoke many feelings, even in the same person on different days at different times. There is joy and even wonder for many in the ways the natural world can display such beauty. There is a kind of peace that comes at the end of a day when confronted with a sky awash in pinks and purples. As the day gives way to night, a pink sky can also feel like a kind of introspection or even nostalgia that colors the moment before total darkness and that encourages a reimagining of what tomorrow can hold.
Countless artists, writers, and musicians have long been inspired by the beauty of pink clouds. The vibrant colors and the emotions they stir often serve as the basis for creative expression. The indie band *The New Pornographers* famously captured the very essence of pink clouds in their song “Pink Clouds.” Yet, our obsession with the phenomena does not end with pop music. Indeed, the worlds of artistry and academia converge when it comes to understanding the chemistry and physics behind the stunning visual effects of sunset and sunrise on clouds.
To sum up, pink clouds are more than merely a stunning sight. They symbolize an emotional complexity that humans share, the splendid cultural diversity found in societies around the globe, and the atmospheric intricacies that scientists study—right down to sea level, where the unfurling of a pink cloud is seen as a harbinger of good fortune by some people. Gaze upon an all-pink sky or a cloud of the same color, and you're bound to have some kind of emotional experience. It may be a minor moment of tranquility that fortifies you for turbulence ahead. Or it might be an episode of pathology in a pop-culture history that comes to mind while you're driving to work. In any case, it's a natural phenomenon, but then again, so are we.