What determines the skies colours at sunset and sunrise?

Summary

Light may seem white, but it is composed of different wavelengths, each corresponding to various colors. Longer wavelengths produce red and orange hues, while shorter wavelengths create blue and indigo. Earth's atmosphere, filled with gases like nitrogen and argon, acts as a filter for sunlight. During the day, we mainly see the blue wavelengths, but at sunset, the longer wavelengths dominate as blue light is scattered. This scattering creates the stunning pink and orange colors we often associate with sunsets.

Takeaways

• 😀 Light is not simply white, it is composed of different wavelengths of color.
• 😀 Long wavelengths of light produce colors like red and orange.
• 😀 Short wavelengths of light produce colors like blue and indigo.
• 😀 Our atmosphere is filled with water vapor and gases like nitrogen and argon.
• 😀 These gases act as filters or prisms, giving us different types of light.
• 😀 When there is less atmosphere, we see the shorter wavelengths of light, such as blue.
• 😀 During sunset, more atmosphere is present, which scatters the shorter wavelengths.
• 😀 The scattering of shorter wavelengths at sunset results in beautiful pink and orange colors.
• 😀 The scattering effect is what creates the stunning hues in a sunset.
• 😀 Sunsets occur because light travels through more atmosphere, scattering shorter wavelengths out.

Q & A

What is the true nature of light, according to the script?

Light is not just white; it is made up of different wavelengths, each corresponding to different colors, ranging from red and orange (long wavelengths) to blue and indigo (short wavelengths).

Why do we see blue in the sky during the day?

During the day, the sunlight passes through less of Earth's atmosphere, scattering the shorter wavelengths of light, like blue, which is why the sky appears blue.

What gases are mentioned in the atmosphere that affect the way light travels?

The script mentions nitrogen and argon, along with water vapor, which serve as filters or prisms to affect how light interacts with the atmosphere.

How do these gases function in relation to light?

These gases act as filters or prisms, influencing the types of light that reach us by scattering or filtering different wavelengths, which results in different colors.

What happens to the color of the sky during a sunset?

During sunset, the sunlight passes through a greater amount of atmosphere, scattering the shorter blue wavelengths and leaving us with the longer wavelengths of red, orange, and pink, which is why we see these colors in the sky.

Why do we see more red and orange during sunsets compared to midday?

At sunset, the sunlight has to travel through more atmosphere, causing more scattering of shorter wavelengths (like blue), while longer wavelengths (like red and orange) remain visible.

What effect does the Earth's atmosphere have on the color of light?

The Earth's atmosphere scatters light, with different gases and particles filtering the light in such a way that different colors of light are visible depending on the time of day and atmospheric conditions.

What is the role of water vapor in the atmosphere regarding light?

Water vapor, along with other gases, helps filter light, scattering different wavelengths and contributing to the colors we see in the sky.

What causes the sky to appear blue at midday?

The shorter wavelengths of light, particularly blue, are scattered more when sunlight passes through a smaller amount of atmosphere during the day, causing the sky to appear blue.

How does the amount of atmosphere affect the scattering of light?

The more atmosphere light passes through, the greater the scattering of shorter wavelengths (like blue), allowing longer wavelengths (like red and orange) to dominate, especially during sunsets.