🚀 go-pugleaf

carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick) writes:

>In article <616@highett.mel.dbce.csiro.au>, steveo@mel.dbce.csiro.au (Stephen Oakes) writes:
>>Why does the sky appear blue?

>Rayleigh (sp?) scattering.

>>I have heard that it is because water
>>particles (or perhaps "air particles") have a slightly bluish tinge.

>No.  It's scattering.  Nothing at all about a "bluish tinge" as in the
>particles having a color.

I once saw this very striking exhibit in the Tycho Brahe Planetarium.
A ray of white light was send into a glass cylinder, containing some
substance that scatters light much more than does ordinary air. The
cylinder looked blue near the lamp, green in the middle and yellow
at the far end. This is because short wave light scatters most.

This is what gives the sky its color. The blue light from the
sun gets scattered, and comes to you from all directions. When
the light has to go through a lot of air, that is when the sun is
near the horizon, all but the very longest light waves get scattered,
and the sun looks red.

Klaus O K