Blue Skies

What Makes the Sky Blue?

Have you ever wondered what makes the sky blue? I know that it seems like a question a child would ask but do we really know. I always thought the sky reflected off the ocean and that is why, but I am wrong. According the website Science Made Simple it explains the question through explaining the atmosphere, light waves, colors of light, and even why the sunsets are red, pretty awesome information given. So you are probably wondering well I will tell you.

            According to the site the sky is blue because, “The blue color of the sky is due to Rayleigh scattering. As light moves through the atmosphere, most of the longer wavelengths pass straight through. However, much of the shorter wavelength light is absorbed by the gas molecules. The absorbed blue light is then radiated in different directions. It gets scattered all around the sky. Whichever direction you look, some of this scattered blue light reaches you. Since you see the blue light from everywhere overhead, the sky looks blue” (Science Made Simple). Hope that explanation helps here is a photo to clarify. The sky is blue because of light waves and how they are absorbed. With this science it make Earth so beautiful. How lucky are we to see a beautiful blue, because we have an atmosphere we have a blue sky. The website said that because space has no atmosphere they have nothing moving around and that is why it is black. I never though about that, but here on this spinning ball we are apart of a special universe and ours is extra special. So now if a child asks why the sky is blue we can tell them.


Science made simple, . "WHY IS THE SKY BLUE?." Science Made Simple. N.p., 2003.    Web. 18 Feb 2012. <http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/sky_blue.html>.