2007-01-26 15:16:03 · 8 answers · asked by Bembem T 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Its due to Rayleigh scattering - certainly not because its reflecting the ocean which people sometimes say! Rayleigh scattering involved the scattering of light by particles smaller than the wavelength of light. It has a smaller effect on colours with longer wavelengths and that is why the sky is blue - and also in fact why the sun is yellow - if you added up all the blue tint in the sky and focused it in the area of sun you would get its actual colour of bright white.
Physicists used to say that Rayleigh diffraction was responsible for the reddish tint in sunrise and sunset because the light had to travel through more atmosphere to reach us however this is currently disputed and there is another optical theorem at work called 'Lorenz-Mie theory'. Kind regards.
2007-01-27 02:05:49 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 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.
2007-01-26 15:24:11 · answer #2 · answered by greβ 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Th refractive effect is called Rayleight Scattering. Most other colors are refracted in the atmosphere, with only the blue colors getting through during the day. at dawn and dusk the angle is such that most of the blue light is refracted away from us, letting the redder colors through...
2007-01-26 15:31:50 · answer #3 · answered by Beach_Bum 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The same reason you see a rainbow from a prisim. As light from the sun enters the atmosphere, it is split and the blue light is what you see. As the sun rises or sets, it comes at a different angle and that is why you see red at those times.
2007-01-26 15:22:11 · answer #4 · answered by ChshreCat 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is because the molecules of our atmosphere scatter the blue light better than the other colors.
2007-01-26 15:32:11 · answer #5 · answered by star2_watch 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If i remember my elementry grade school physics class's right The blue is from the refractory property of the largley nitrogen content in the earths atsmosphere..
2007-01-26 15:40:24 · answer #6 · answered by darchangel_3 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hello,
The way I understand it it is to do with the sun reflecting upwards from the worlds oceans, a bit like refracted light does from a prism......... Tony M
2007-01-26 15:24:48 · answer #7 · answered by tony m 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sometimes it's grey. It depends on your state of mind.
2007-01-26 15:24:53 · answer #8 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋