Why is the sky blue?

Answer 1

Rayleigh scattering (named after Lord Rayleigh) is the scattering of light, or other electromagnetic radiation, by particles much smaller than the wavelength of the light. It occurs when light travels in transparent solids and liquids, but is most prominently seen in gases. Rayleigh scattering of sunlight by the atmosphere is the main reason light from the sky is blue.

Answer 2

Here goes !
Forget about the atmosphere as a whole for a moment and instead imagine a single electron and a red photon (which has not much energy) and a blue photon (which has a lot of energy).
A blue photon has nearly enough energy to lift the electron to a higher energy state but it doesn't have quite enough so it borrows the extra energy from nothing at all (really energy is borrowed from nothing !!!). Mother natures rule for borrowing energy is "the more you borrow the sooner you have to give it back". So now we have an electron in a high energy state held there by the energy from the blue photon and the borrowed energy. Because only a little bit of energy was borrowed (remember the rule) it can stay in this state for quite a long time before mother nature asks for her energy back. When that happens the blue photon is kicked back out of the electron. The key point is that the electron is part of an atom (say an oxygen atom in the atmosphere) and that atom is spinning so it can turn quite a long way in the time between when the blue photon was absorbed and emitted. The practical upshot of which is that the blue photon comes in (to the atom) from one direction and departs in a very different direction or is "scattered". So all blue light is scattered from all atoms in the atmosphere all around so the sky appears blue. Voila !

A red photon has much less energy so for it to boost an electron to a higher level it has to borrow a lot of energy so it has to pay it back sooner. That means the atom won't have turned very far before the red photon is fired out again. So its fired out in pretty much the same direction as it arrived.
Thats why the setting sun appears red.
Phew, clear as mud right ?

Answer 3

NOT because of the ocean... last I checked water is clear..

The reason for blue skies is what is actually in our atmosphere.. mostly nitrogen and oxygen.. the sun light SCATTERS off the molecules in all directions scattering blue light the best so blue is seen from all directions... if our air had more larger molecules such as methane. then the sky would be a different color.

Answer 4

higher altitude gases form a reflective property next to the darkness of outerspace. Sunlight reflecting off the earth surface (majority water) produces blue, the lowest color frequency in the spectrum. That is why the sky is yellow/orange/red at sunrise, sunset due to a more direct reflection of the sun's rays onto the outer atmosphere.

Answer 5

It's a reflection of the ocean. blue water = blue sky.

Answer 6

Ozone is produced by short-wavelength ultraviolet light from the sun. Once made, the ozone filters out this harmful UV. It is bright blue. You are seeing sunlight reflecting off and through this ozone layer.

Answer 7

It is a large blue blanket that Manitou through over us to protect us.

Answer 8

it is the reflection of the ocean.

Answer 9

How old are you??? Should you be playing with mommies computer?

Answer 10

Thats a good question..............it is odd how things on earth vary in color..