Is China’s Blood Red Sky a Sign of the Apocalypse?
Rare phenomenon gets explained.
The stunning blood-red sky of China has been documented countless times in recent years. In fact, there are so many photos of the red sky phenomenon that it has become something of an Internet meme.
But recently, conspiracy theorists have begun using the photos to support doomsday theories that China’s blood-red sky is a sign of the apocalypse. Are they right?
Could this be an indication that the end of days is near? Let’s take a look at some of the most compelling evidence and see if we can shed some light on what’s behind China’s blood-red sky…
In China’s Zhoushan the Sky Turned Blood Red
What Does It Mean? On Sunday, May 9th, people from Zhoushan, in Zhejiang province, all saw a blood-red sky at night. Residents described that when looking up to the sky above them, they could see that it had turned completely blood red.
In some pictures taken with camera phones that have been circulating on Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo (the equivalent of Twitter) and WeChat (the equivalent of WhatsApp), you can clearly see what appears to be very bright red clouds filling up half of the entire sky.
The phenomenon was also witnessed by residents in Wenzhou city which is located only 40 miles away from Zhoushan.
Air Pollution May Be Responsible
Several things could be causing red skies across China. The reddish hue could be caused by dust or sand kicked up from northern Chinese deserts; it could also be an optical illusion caused by haze, clouds, or smog.
That said, air pollution can also cause the sky to appear ruddy (the sun hitting airborne particles makes it possible). If that’s what’s going on here, then it suggests recent increases in pollution may not have been as well-regulated as they seemed.
Heavy industry combined with coal use is common in northern regions and recent regulations have attempted to control that kind of pollution.
The True Color of Blood Red Skies
While there is no red-colored blood, for it would be quite dark due to its high iron content, light does sometimes appear red when it passes through particulates in Earth’s atmosphere. During sunset and sunrise (when sunlight must pass through more air than normal), dust and other particles may scatter some light toward your eyes.
This scattering of white light into its component colors produces a purplish, pink, or red glow that depends on what gas in Earth’s atmosphere is responsible for absorbing specific wavelengths. In most cases, blood-red skies are due to dust (rather than anything paranormal). The dust can vary based on its composition.
What Causes Air Pollution?
The exact sources of China’s air pollution are not entirely clear, but it has been attributed to emissions from factories, automobiles, and other sources. Coal is also a major source of air pollution in much of China and accounts for about 70 percent of all its electricity.
Even clean coal technology can lead to heavy local air pollution, however; burning coal produces sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that react with water vapor to form acid rain. Airborne particles often contain toxic metals like mercury or cadmium as well as radioactive elements like thorium or uranium.
All these factors combine to make for some really dirty air and sometimes cause red-tinted skies.
The Effects of Air Pollution
Air pollution is harmful to humans in multiple ways. The World Health Organization estimates that 4.3 million people die each year from exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution.
Air pollutants include small particles, gases, and chemicals that can have adverse effects on human health; some common pollutants include sulfates, nitrates, ozone, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide.
Not only do pollutants increase your risk for cancer but they can also aggravate asthma symptoms, cause infections in healthy lungs and even worsen heart conditions for people with already existing heart disease.
During periods of high levels of air pollution, many people experience increased nosebleeds or skin irritation from being exposed to so many toxins.
The Solutions to This Problem
Before you get too stressed out, it’s important to note that some red skies aren’t caused by catastrophic events. In most cases, they are harmless and can be attributed to normal changes in weather conditions.
The red color comes from pollution in Earth’s atmosphere. During certain weather conditions, like when there is strong sunlight, the air scatters light with longer wavelengths (like red), making it appear dark or purple.
Depending on what type of pollution is present in Earth’s atmosphere and how much light reaches your eyes, a blood-red sky can have any number of different hues ranging from copper to maroon or even black.
Is This a Sign of the Apocalypse?
Many people were worried when they noticed that Beijing’s sky turned red overnight, but is it really a sign of the end times? It could be just another smog episode, but many others believe it is an omen for bad things to come. Is there any truth to these worries or are these thoughts unfounded in reality?
Let’s look at some facts and see if we can find an answer. First off, what caused all of those blood-red pictures to be shared on social media platforms? Some claim that pollution was responsible while others say that it was simply due to fireworks used during celebrations of Chinese New Year.
Unfortunately, both of these theories have been debunked by scientists as viable explanations for why the sky looked like it did.
According to Chinese state media reports, the glow was caused by sunlight reflecting off dust particles after sandstorms in northern China sent dirt flying into air conditioning units and screens across much of eastern Asia last week. Sorry, no apocalypse coming.
Subscribe: Are you ready to get my posts in your inbox: Do That Here!
