Why is the sky blue?

Why is the sky blue?

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The sky around us has no color at all, but appears blue due to the reflection of sunlight. But the sun isn’t blue at all, is it? correct. Our star emits white light, which, in fact, consists of all the colors of the rainbow. However, we usually don’t see all of those colors at the same time.

Scattering creates a blue sky

So why is the sky blue? This has to do with the scattering of light. This means that light particles from the sun in the atmosphere collide with air particles and are thus reflected in all directions.

But not every color in sunlight disperses in the same way. For example, blue light has a shorter wavelength, so it hits air molecules more often and is scattered more than red light, for example. Blue light is scattered throughout the atmosphere and reaches our eyes from all sides. This is why the sky is blue, not red or purple. The sea is also blue due to the scattering and reflection of sunlight.

In winter the sky is bluer than in summer

In winter, the sky is usually bluer than in summer. Warmer air contains more moisture molecules, which scatter blue light more. This makes the sky appear less bright to us. In winter the air is generally drier and therefore the sky becomes bluer.

Why is the sunset red?

When evening comes and the sun sets, the sky turns orange and red. What about this? At sunrise and sunset, the sun makes a greater angle with the earth, so that sunlight has to travel a longer distance through the atmosphere. This ensures additional scattering of blue light, which, as it were, is filtered into the atmosphere. Red and orange are scattered less and, in the absence of blue, are more visible to the naked eye.

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Rainbow colors are also created by scattering of light. In this case, the sun’s rays are refracted by raindrops, so you see not only blue, but also red, yellow, orange, green and purple.

Also interesting: How are the northern lights created?

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