Main      Site Guide    
Message Forum
Re: I just wanted to say... Rayleigh scattering!
Posted By: Wolfspirit, on host 206.47.244.94
Date: Monday, October 25, 1999, at 20:55:02
In Reply To: Re: I just wanted to say... Rayleigh scattering! posted by Sam on Sunday, October 24, 1999, at 18:43:57:

> > Of course you were :-) The only point you might want to expand on is that when the sun is nearest the horizon, the rays are traveling tangent to the viewer and, hence, through a larger distance of air. The further the sunlight has to travel through air molecules, the more likely the shorter-wave component of light (blue) is scattered out -- allowing only warmer red, orange, and yellow light to reach and delight the viewer's eyes.
>
> Now explain why the sky never appears green, even around the outer edge of a sunrise/sunset or just as it's appearing or disappearing.

You have information (an explanation) to suggest that the "green flash" enile mentioned is an illusion? *puzzled* The whole visual impression that the sun is 'reddish' at sunrise/sunset -- and not at other times -- is in fact a wondrous illusion, as is our impression that the sun is 'yellowish' during daylight hours. The sun, when not viewed through earth's atmosphere, burns in a spectral frequency that is brightly-white when seen from space.