Interestingly this is a question I've had for a while. Night brings potentially deadly cold, predators, a drastic limit in vision so why do we find the sunset and night sky beautiful. Why do we stop and watch the sun set - something that happens every day - rather than prepare for the food and warmth we need to survive the night?

Maybe it's that we only pause to observe them and realize they're beautiful, when we're feeling safe enough?

"Beautiful sunset" evokes being on a calm sea shore with a loved one, feeling safe. It does not evoke being on a farm and looking up while doing chores and wishing they'd be over already. It does not evoke being stranded on an island, half-starved to death.

You're entering the domain of philosophy. There's a concept of "the sublime" that's been richly explored in literature. If you find the subject interesting, I'd recommend you starting with Immanuel Kant.