The sky appears a "funny" color (meaning not its usual blue) due to the way sunlight interacts with the atmosphere, similar to how a prism works. The sky turns redder during sunrise and sunset, this is because the angle of the sunlight during these phases causes light to be this colour.
Understanding Light and the Atmosphere
Sunlight is made up of all the colors of the rainbow. When sunlight enters the Earth's atmosphere, it collides with air molecules and other tiny particles. This collision causes the light to scatter in different directions.
- Scattering: This is when light bounces off of particles.
- Refraction: As stated in the reference provided, this is when light bends as it passes through the atmosphere, similar to how a prism works.
The Role of Angle and Time of Day
The color of the sky can vary significantly depending on the time of day.
Sunrise and Sunset
- Longer Path: During sunrise and sunset, sunlight has to travel through a greater amount of atmosphere to reach our eyes.
- Red and Orange Dominate: The blue light is scattered away, leaving the longer wavelengths like red and orange to dominate.
- Refraction from Prism: The angle of the sunlight at these times causes light to appear red, similarly to how a prism refracts a range of colours, from blue to red.
Factors Influencing Sky Color
The presence of pollutants and weather conditions influence the color of the sky:
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Air Pollution | Can lead to hazy or murky skies. Higher concentration of particles. |
| Weather Conditions | Can alter the amount and type of particles in the air, affecting light scattering and sky color significantly. |
| Time of day | The sun's angle relative to the horizon at different times of day affects how much atmosphere light must travel through. |
