There are so many beautiful things to see in the world, but some of them may seem almost normal when you become more familiar with them. For example, everyone knows what the sky looks like, even though it may have different shades on different days. But why is the sky blue on a clear day? Let’s find out. The same thing can be said about other natural phenomena as well. Why do rivers flow downward? Why do hot and cold springs exist? Even if these things might not be as exciting as they sound, their explanation is still quite interesting and worth knowing. Nature has its way of working, and there are reasons for everything we see around us. Read on to know more about why the sky is blue on a clear day:
The blue sky is a sign of clarity
When you look at the sky on a clear day, you can see that it’s blue. This isn’t always the case, though. The sky can be any color, such as gray, green, or even orange. Why then is the sky blue on a clear day? The answer lies in the clarity of the sky.
When the sky is completely blue, it means that it’s completely free of haze and other atmospheric pollutants. There are no clouds in the sky, either. When the sky is this clear, the blue light from the sun can travel through the atmosphere and get reflected down to the ground.
Ultraviolet rays are the reason why it’s blue
We’ve already established that the color of the sky is blue. Well, there’s even more to this story. It turns out that the color of the sky is a result of the ultraviolet rays that travel through the atmosphere. Blue light is shorter than other wavelengths, and when it gets to the atmosphere, it gets scattered around.
The shorter wavelengths don’t get to the ground, so they appear blue. When the blue light gets to the ground and reflects up, it mixes with the other colors, resulting in the blue color of the sky. This is why the sky is blue when the sun is out and there are no clouds or haze in the atmosphere.
Different types of light cause this
The sky isn’t just blue when the sun is out; it’s also blue when the moon is out. How can this be proven? Let’s take a look at what causes the different colors of light from the moon and sun.
When light from the sun travels towards the earth, it passes through different layers in the atmosphere, like the ozone layer, the troposphere, and the stratosphere. All of these layers have different temperatures and hence have different properties.
The ozone layer, for example, absorbs short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation. The troposphere is the layer where most of the weather happens. This is where clouds and fog occur. Fog is nothing but water droplets that exist at the boundary of the troposphere and the stratosphere.
The stratosphere is the highest layer of the atmosphere and is above the troposphere. It’s above this layer that the ozone layer exists. The ozone layer is the layer where the ultraviolet rays are blocked. Because of these properties, the light that is reflected from the sun and moon has different properties.
The Dust and Particulate Matter in the Atmosphere Are The Reason Why It’s Blue
The sky is blue because of the dust and particulate matter in the atmosphere. There is a certain equilibrium in the atmosphere that results in the blue color. Since the atmosphere is composed of different elements, there’s a specific amount of gases that should be available in it.
However, there are tiny particles of dust and dirt in the atmosphere. These particles of dust and dirt add to the amount of particulate matter in the atmosphere. When there is too much particulate matter in the atmosphere, the sky becomes blue.
The reason why the sky is blue when there is a lot of particulate matter in the atmosphere is that these tiny particles of dust and dirt get absorbed by water droplets in the atmosphere. When these water droplets get bigger, they reflect the blue light, which then gets mixed with the other colors and makes the sky blue.
When there is a lot of particulate matter in the atmosphere, there is less light that gets reflected towards the ground. There’s also less light that travels towards the atmosphere, making the sky appear blue.
There Is An Equilibrium In The Atmosphere That Causes It To Be Blue
The more you research this topic, the more you’ll learn that there is an equilibrium in the atmosphere that causes the blue color. When there is an equilibrium in the atmosphere, there is an equal quantity of all the gases that are present. These gases are nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide.
There is always a specific ratio of these gases in the atmosphere. When there is an equilibrium in the atmosphere, the molecules of gases get distributed evenly.
When the sun’s rays get reflected on the earth, they are remembered at an angle that is the same as the angle at which they entered the atmosphere. Because of this, most of the blue light gets trapped in the atmosphere.
