When we gaze up at the sky on a clear day, we are greeted by the beautiful blue hue that envelops the atmosphere. But what exactly causes this stunning coloration of the sky? The answer lies in a phenomenon known as Rayleigh scattering.
Rayleigh Scattering:
Rayleigh scattering is the scattering of sunlight by molecules and small particles in the atmosphere. When sunlight enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it encounters gas molecules and particles that are much smaller in size than the wavelength of light. As a result, shorter blue wavelengths are scattered more efficiently than longer red wavelengths, causing the sky to appear blue to our eyes.
Interestingly, the intensity of blue light scattered in the sky is 16 times stronger than red light. This is why we see the sky as predominantly blue during the day, as the shorter blue wavelengths are scattered in all directions, creating the blue canopy above us.
Optical Depth and Sky Color:
Another factor that influences the color of the sky is the optical depth of the atmosphere. The optical depth is a measure of how much light is scattered or absorbed as it travels through the atmosphere. In general, the optical depth is greater for shorter wavelengths, such as blue light, which results in the blue color of the sky that we observe.
Furthermore, during sunrise and sunset, when the sun is lower on the horizon, the light passes through a thicker layer of the atmosphere. This leads to increased scattering of blue and green light, while the longer wavelengths of red and orange light dominate the sky, creating the spectacular colors of sunrise and sunset.
