Why is the sky blue?

Question

Can anyone tell me why the sky is blue??

Answer 1

If you type it into the "Search for questions" box you'll see loads and loads of answers to this one as it's been asked 131 times so far.

Answer 2

The blue color of the sky is due to Rayleigh scattering. As light moves through the atmosphere, most of the longer wavelengths pass straight through. Little of the red, orange and yellow light is affected by the air.

However, much of the shorter wavelength light is absorbed by the gas molecules. The absorbed blue light is then radiated in different directions. It gets scattered all around the sky. Whichever direction you look, some of this scattered blue light reaches you. Since you see the blue light from everywhere overhead, the sky looks blue.

Check out this interesting website for more information:
http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/sky_blue.html

It also gives the explanation as to why the sunset and sunrise are red in color.

Answer 3

the blue colour of the sky is by technique of Rayleigh scattering. As gentle strikes contained in the direction of the ambience, various the longer wavelengths pass right away by using. Little of the crimson, orange and yellow gentle is stricken by using the air. in spite of the undeniable fact that, many of the shorter wavelength gentle is absorbed by using the gasoline molecules. The absorbed blue gentle is then radiated in distinctive guidelines. It gets scattered everywhere in the sky. Whichever path you look, a number of this scattered blue gentle reaches you. considering you notice the blue gentle from everywhere overhead, the sky seems blue.

Answer 4

It's called Rayleigh Scattering - light from the Sun (and to a far lesser extent, other stars) is scattered when it 'collides' witht he molecules in air. The amount it is scattered depends on the light's wavelength. Having a short wavelength, Blue light is scattered more than Red, so it is the blue light you see as the 'background' colour on a clear day.

It is also why you see Red sunsets - low in the horizon the light is travelling a shorter distance, so it is interfered with less, meaning the Red light makes it through.

So, there!

Answer 5

As light from the sun hits earth, our atmosphere acts as a prism, splitting the single beam of light into the various colours in a beam of light (rainbow). Blue is the most abundant light in this spectrum, so the sky appears blue while other colours are filtered out.

Answer 6

It is not actually blue ..
It looks like blue ............
While seeing the view of science , The lowest wavelngth colour is blue ... By rayleigh's scattering law , the color which having the lower wavelength get scattered more than high wave length . Hence blue light scattered better than red.. So the sky is look like blue

Answer 7

yep, basically what that raj the tora gimp sed, its basically the physical colour of the air molecules that surround us. Up in the skiy there are obviously alot more of them to see, and make up the whole blue colour. Now what raj was doing was describing why those molecules are in fact blue. Because of light, and wavelength and all that physics.

Answer 8

Are you complaining about it being blue??

Answer 9

I thought it was the reflection from the oceans?

Answer 10

i dont know , why is grass green and water wet . hmmmmmmmmmm things that make ya go hm!