2006-07-11 18:28:28 · 8 answers · asked by neabore_jean 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
I answered this question not too long ago, but I'll do it again:
Light from the sun is created from all colors of light mixed together. When this light hits our atmosphere it is diffracted, like looking at light through a prism its broken into its component colors (Red, Orange, Yellow, etc.). Each color has a different wavelength. However, the gases in our atmosphere only absorb light of short wavelengths - they scatter that light throughout our atmosphere. Those colors with some of the shortest wavelengths (and the correct energy to interact with the air) is blue light. Tada! Blue sky!
2006-07-11 18:35:58 · answer #1 · answered by michelsa0276 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not the reflection of water, contrary to what some others write. The ocean is blue because water also scatters light. If the sky were blue because the ocean was blue then why is the sky blue far away from the ocean? It's not.
The sky is blue because of Rayleigh Scattering, as described above.
Check out the link at the Bad Astronomy site.
2006-07-12 07:00:24 · answer #2 · answered by Wyld Stallyns 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A clear cloudless day-time sky is blue because molecules in the air scatter blue light from the sun more than they scatter red light. When we look towards the sun at sunset, we see red and orange colours because the blue light has been scattered out and away from the line of sight.
2006-07-12 08:51:44 · answer #3 · answered by Sam 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
michael's got it. We did something like this in chemistry class. We took spectrometers (look into it and it breaks light into a spectrum so you can see all 7 colors) and looked at different gas lights and the gasses only produced a few of the 7 colors b\c the energy levels that the electrons fill of the atoms of the gas only break into certain colors (1 per energy level filled) it was the most mind blowing thing ive seen in a while...
2006-07-12 01:48:21 · answer #4 · answered by j h 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm only answering this so I can get another two points to get back up to level 1. However, on your question, I think its the reflection from the water they found on mars!
2006-07-12 01:49:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is the color of the water reflected by light from the sun
2006-07-12 06:53:16 · answer #6 · answered by Romel c 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
light refraction
2006-07-12 01:31:44 · answer #7 · answered by bambi 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why is the grass green?
2006-07-12 01:31:31 · answer #8 · answered by Bride2Be 8/30/08 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋