Why wildfire smoke turns the sky orange, according to science

As Canadian wildfires poured smoke plumes over the U.S. this week, East Coasters found themselves captivated and concerned by the unnatural orange hue that took over the skies. “Everything was completely orange. I’ve never seen anything like it before,” said Kimberly Saltz of New York City. She said she remembers her first thought when she looked out her window Wednesday: “This looks like Mars!” Looking across the East River, Saltz couldn’t make out the contours of Brooklyn, and what she could see was bathed in an orange glow. The sky...