Earth Features – Saharan Desert Dust

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2026

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Wednesday 1st April 2026

• I was in Santorini, a Greek island, when the sky changed.
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• Skies turn red as Saharan dust storm passed over Santorini, Greece Island.
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• A huge cloud of Saharan dust has been blown north from Africa and swept across Greece, especially the island of Greece Islands.
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• This happened as part of a severe weather system known as Storm Erminio, which brought strong winds into Santorini.
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• The red/orange sky effect happens because:
  – Tiny dust particles scatter sunlight differently than clean air
  – Shorter blue wavelengths get filtered out
  – Longer red/orange wavelengths dominate what we see
  – That’s why skies can look deep red, orange, or even brown during these events.
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• Under a Red Sky ~ my Experience in Santorini during the Saharan Dust Storm:
  – I was in Santorini when the sky changed.
  – At first, a faint haze drifting over the horizon. But within hours, the familiar blue sky of the Santorini had vanished, replaced by a deep, almost unreal shade of red.
  – The sunlight dimmed, casting an unnatural atmosphere glow over the white buildings that Santorini is known for.
  -It felt like stepping into another world, like Mars.
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Dusty air during the night

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To follow the next day on Thursday morning – Clear skies!
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2021

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2021 Saharan Dust Clouds

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Earth Features Astrophotography by Derek Rowley
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• Clouds
• Fog Bow
• Frozen Ice
• Rainbow
• Saharan Dust Storm
• Snowflakes

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Back to My Astrophotography page