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Subject: 
Re: Why the sky is blue (was: Re: Libertarian SPAM (Propaganda))
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Tue, 19 Jun 2001 21:26:31 GMT
Viewed: 
1620 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Jeff Jardine writes:
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Shiri Dori writes:

Yep... the molecules in the atmosphere are the ones causing the sky's blue
appearance. That's also why the sun appears yellow on the background of the
sky (blue and yellow are complementary/opposite on the RGB scale, which is
what our eyes use). In outer space, in near-vacuum, nothing reflects the
light; the sky is black and the sun is white.

Well... the colour of the Sun will be subjective to how each individual
perceives colour, but it's peak output definitely lies in the range
that most people would call yellow.  It is a whitish-yellow, because the Sun
also radiates at all other wavelengths.

The Sun (and stars and other celestial objects) really do have colour. If you
look at the night sky, all the little points of light look white.  If you
stare long enough, Betelgeuse (which is cooler than the Sun) will appear red
and Sirius (which is hotter than the Sun) will look blueish.


As for ocean and lake water - they are blue because of the sky's reflection.
Not the other way around (NOT the sky is blue because water reflects in it).
Water in itself, if you look at a cup inside your house, is entirely clear.

Ah, but if you look at a cup full of air, it also appears clear.  It just
takes a whole lot of air (or water) before it will look blue, because
very little of the blue light passing through the air (or water) is scattered.

If you look at a lake or the ocean on a completely grey day, it will still
appear blue.

Art 101: large bodies of water take on the color of the sky.  If the sky is
gray, the water is gray, not blue.  Lemme see....

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/earth/Oceans.shtml

Scroll down a bit - they even use the gray sky/gray water in the example.

Bruce
(Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!  I've become anal-retentive!  Auuuuuuuuughhhhhh!)



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: Why the sky is blue
 
(...) That is misinformation! Water DOES have an intrinsic blue colour: (URL) Learning" indeed! However, I must apologise for my earlier starement that the bluish tinge of water is due to scattering. It is due to selective absorption (there's the (...) (23 years ago, 20-Jun-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

Message is in Reply To:
  Why the sky is blue (was: Re: Libertarian SPAM (Propaganda))
 
(...) Well... the colour of the Sun will be subjective to how each individual perceives colour, but it's peak output definitely lies in the range that most people would call yellow. It is a whitish-yellow, because the Sun also radiates at all other (...) (23 years ago, 19-Jun-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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