morning glow; sunrise colors
Refers to the red or orange sky at sunrise, often used poetically or in weather contexts.
The morning glow was very beautiful this morning.
朝焼けの空を写真に撮った。
I took a picture of the sunrise-colored sky.
朝日 refers to the sun itself in the morning, whereas 朝焼け refers to the reddish glow of the sky at sunrise, not the sun itself.
Standard spelling; the most common written form.
Irregular okurigana usage; rarely seen.
Compound of 朝 (asa, 'morning') and 焼け (yake, 'burning/glowing'), from the verb 焼ける (yakeru, 'to burn/glow').