How come the sun is bright yellow/white at noon, but, red early morning and late evening?

Question

and how come the sun does not burn our eyes when we look at it when it is red? And, if Superman gets weak under a red sun, how come he doesn't lose his powers when our sun is red?

Questions asked by my grandson, who loves Superman. (He has read all my comics form the 60's, where he learned Superman came from a red sun. OK You nit pickers, yes, I know Superman is NOT real, but, please humor my grandson)

Answer 1

Superman doesn't lose his powers when our sun appears red because it really hasn't changed color at all, it only looks that way because when we see the sun from a low angle the light has to pass through more air to reach our eyes.

That also answers the question why doesn't it burn your eyes to look at a sunrise or sunset, because at those times the sun's light is passing through a lot more air before it gets to our eyes, so a smaller fraction of the light makes it straight through. Most of the light gets scattered.

The sun looks redder at those times because blue light scatters more easily than red light does.

Tell your grandson that if Superman were wearing a pair of sunglasses which make a red sun look yellow or make a yellow sun look red, it wouldn't affect his powers at all because it's just an illusion. The sun hasn't really changed colors.

Answer 2

The apparent redness of the Sun is caused by the blue end of the light spectrum being absorbed by the atmosphere. When the Sun is overhead, the light coming from the Sun passes through less atmosphere than at dawn or dusk. The more blue light is scattered from the sunlight, the redder it appears.
Whatever mysterious force in a yellow sun gives Superman his power is still there at dawn and dusk, because the sun itself is unchanged - it's just that we're getting a distorted view of it. Obviously, it's not the blue light in sunlight that gives Superman his strength.

Answer 3

When the sun is low in the sky, the light has to pass through more of the atmosphere to reach you.
This scatters some of the light, and blue light is more easily scattered than red light, hence the sun appears more red in the morning and evening.

As for Superman, I'll ask him next time I see him.

Answer 4

I absorb the energy from the yellow sun like a sponge. I can store a lot of energy. That is why I am able to fly even at night. You must have a real smart grandson. :) :) :)

Answer 5

It looks red (and is a lot less bright) because in the evening and in the morning it's coming to you through a lot more atmosphere than when it's overhead.

Doug.

Answer 6

Id say pollution causes it to have a differnt color too. Same reason why pollution gives us such nice sunsets.
Just the way the lighted is filters and what particals are filtering the light.