Every once in a while the conditions are perfect for a sunset that seems impossible to be real. Here are the ingredients for an amazing sunset like this one…

1) Enough clouds in the air for the sunlight to reflect off of.
2) Enough blue sky poking through for a nice color contrast.
3) A little haze in the air.

Those factors will usually produce a beautiful sunset but if the sky directly where the sun dips below the water is clear enough the red/orange end of the spectrum can bend around the horizon after the sun has fully set and light those clouds up with the most vivid colors you have ever seen. You will see a lot of people on the beach pack their things and go a few seconds after the sun disappears behind the water but often times the next 15 or 20 minutes turn out to be the best part of the sunset. Every few minutes you are treated to a new combination of colors as the sunlight hits the clouds from different angles.

While grilling on the lanai tonight I saw the tell-tale signs of an amazing light show brewing so I ran and got my camera. After about 5 minutes the sky exploded into color.