Vivid sunrise you saw this morning

Friday, January 8, 2016, 12:17 PM - The social world erupted Friday morning with photos of a stunning sunrise across Ontario (scroll down to see a full gallery).

"#sunrise is trending on Twitter today as well," says Weather Network social media coordinator, Katie Jones.

Why were the colours so vivid? Do the same "rules" for "red sky at night..." exist in the winter? How do different seasons impact the way we see the sky?

Friday's sunrise prompted several questions and we have the expert answers from Weather Network meteorologist Dayna Vettese here:

Explain Friday's colours

Colours seen in the sky have to do with the sun’s rays of light being split into the different colours of the spectrum as they pass through particles and water vapour in Earth’s atmosphere. The concentration of water vapour and other particles will impact the colours seen and how vibrant they are. The sun is low in the sky during sunrise and sunset so the light is being transmitted through the thickest part of the atmosphere. For vivid and bright sunrises, you want the air to have a low concentration of pollutants. Pollutants tend to mute bright colours. The fact that it is winter makes for a more vivid sunrise because the air is typically drier and cleaner.

Do similar summer sayings (red sky in the morning, sailors take warning) apply in the same way during the winter months?

The amount of water vapour in the atmosphere can often be a good indicator of approaching weather systems (the more moisture, the more likely hood of a weather system approaching). When there is a red/pink/orange hue to the sky that means the sun’s rays are passing through a high concentration of moisture and particles. The reason why it is red (or variations of red) is because red has a long wavelength so the low sun angle will create long wavelengths as they pass through particles and the blue hues (short wavelengths) are scattered (not seen). If the sky is red at night, often times that means that there is stable air in place so good weather will follow. With a red sky in the morning, that generally can mean high pressure is passing so a low pressure system is on its way. So yes, this would apply to both seasons.

How do winter/summer skies differ?

Summer and winter sunrises and sunsets function the same way but the way in which we see them differ greatly. In the summer, dramatic thunderstorms can be lit up in brilliant sunset colours and create a beautiful scene. In the winter, snow squalls can be lit up by the setting sun. In the summer, there tends to be a more muted tone to sunrise and sunset due to the existence of more moisture and pollution. In the winter, we tend to see more vibrant sunrises and sunsets due to drier and clearer air.

Here's a look at some of the best images of Friday's sunrise sent to us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can always upload your photos/videos to our website as well. Upload here.