How Does The Sun Create Lovely Colors At Sunsets and Sunrises?
How does the Sun make such pretty colours at sunsets and sunrises?
How Does The Sun Create Lovely Colors At Sunsets and sunrises?
The phenomenon that affects the colour of sunset and sunrise is known as the scattering of light. Reflection of light from an object in all directions is called scattering of light. The colour of scattered light depends on the size of the scattering particles. Very small particles scatter mainly blue light, while particles that are larger in size scatter light of a longer wavelength, like red light. If the size of the scattering particle is large enough, then the scattering light may even appear white.
Now, how does this phenomenon affect the colour of the sun at sunrise and sunset?
At sunrise and sunset, the sun and the sky appear red. Light from the sun near the horizon passes through a thick layer of air and covers a larger distance in the atmosphere before reaching our eyes. Near the horizontal, most of the blue light and shorter wavelengths are scattered away by the particles. Therefore, the light that reaches our eyes is of a longer wavelength, which gives rise to the reddish appearance.
At noon, the light from the sun overhead would travel a relatively shorter distance, so it appears white as only a little of the blue and violet colours are scattered.
If the Earth had no atmosphere, then the sky would look dark and black.
– Written by Aruja
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