It’s one of those questions that we often get asked by our children and we are left there staring at them not knowing what to answer: Why is the sky blue? Well, worry no more. We have the answer so you can be the coolest parent ever!
We all know that the light from the sun looks white but it is really made up of all the colors of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green blue).
When sunlight reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, it’s scattered in all directions by the gases and particles in the air. Blue is scattered more than other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. And this is why we see a blue sky most of the time. (the article continues after the ad)
As the sun gets lower in the sky though, its light is passing through more of the atmosphere to reach you. Therefore, the blue light gets scattered out away from the line of sight, allowing the reds and yellows to pass straight through to our eyes. This is why sunrises are red and yellow!
If you like what you read, then you will definitely love this one: This Is Why Moon And Sun Appear To Be The Same Size
Source: Spaceplace.nasa.gov/
Photo: Math.ucr.edu
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