Colors of the world around us: Difference between revisions
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* '''The sky''' | * '''The sky''' | ||
: ...blue due to the nitrogen and oxygen. Their molecular size just happens to have a significant effect on blue (see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayleigh_scattering Rayleigh scattering]). | : ...blue due to the nitrogen and oxygen. Their molecular size just happens to have a more significant effect on the EM frequency we call blue (see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayleigh_scattering Rayleigh scattering]). | ||
: Since it's scattered, it's a diffuse effect throughout the whole sky. It's bluer when you look primarily at scattered light, as any other effects tend to be less pronounced. | : Since it's scattered, repeatedly, it's a diffuse effect throughout the whole sky. It's bluer when you look primarily at scattered light, as any other effects tend to be less pronounced. | ||
* '''Sunsets''' are red, and more so around the sun, | * '''Sunsets''' are red, and more so around the sun, actually for much the same reason | ||
: that is, when you look at a sunset, you are looking at the horizon, seeing light that has passed through more atmosphere - so has more of its blue scattered out, leaving relatively more red | : that is, when you look at a sunset, you are looking at the horizon, seeing light that has passed through more atmosphere - so has more of its blue scattered out, leaving relatively more red | ||
: it helps that we're looking almost directly along the original light path; that's the direction where mostly the unscattered rays are visible | : it helps that we're looking almost directly along the original light path; that's the direction where mostly the unscattered rays are visible | ||
: pollution also helps | : pollution also helps somewhat | ||
With little background, it is quite sensible to theorize that the reason that the sky is blue might be refraction. | |||
With little background, it is quite sensible to theorize that the reason that the sky is blue might be refraction. Water droplets, perhaps. | |||
It's not, though. | It's not, though. | ||
If it were, direction would matter a lot | If it were, direction would matter a lot more than it does - we would see different colors depending on where we are, | ||
and it would probably be almost entirely dark from behind us, opposite the sun. | and it would probably be almost entirely dark from behind us, opposite the sun. | ||
It's a sensible theory because this is less obvious than it may seem {{comment|((refraction in water droplets is a little more interesting than you might think)}}. | |||
Yet it's blue everywhere, fairly evenly. | Yet it's blue everywhere, fairly evenly. | ||
Revision as of 13:17, 9 October 2023
✎ This article/section is a stub — some half-sorted notes, not necessarily checked, not necessarily correct. Feel free to ignore, or tell me about it.
The sky
On sunsets
See also
Might other planet's skies be other colors?
The sun
(TEMPORARILY ELSEWHERE)