Overview
- An intense red-orange sky known locally as a 'candilazo' was widely photographed over Caracas a few days after the June 24 earthquakes, and the images went viral on social media.
- Many residents read the striking sunset as a bad omen and expressed renewed fear of more seismic activity after the recent, damaging quakes.
- Atmospheric scientists explained the effect as Rayleigh scattering — sunlight traveling through more air at sunset — made stronger by suspended particles such as dust and smoke from collapsed buildings and rescue operations.
- Seismologists and other Earth-science specialists have reiterated that there is no scientific evidence linking sky color to earthquake prediction and that no method currently can precisely forecast when quakes will occur.
- Authorities continue search-and-rescue work in Caracas and La Guaira, and the viral images highlight how visible post-quake conditions and online circulation of photos can raise public anxiety and fuel misinformation.