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Why is the sky blue?

math.ucr.edu · 1,409 words · saved by 1 readers

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.

Why is the sky blue? [Physics FAQ] - [Copyright] Original by Philip Gibbs, 1997. Why is the sky blue? 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. The white light from the Sun is a mixture of all colours of the rainbow. This was demonstrated by Isaac Newton, who used a prism to separate the different colours and so form a spectrum. The colours of light are dis

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