Why Does the Sky Change Color?

The sky changes color because light travels through air, and tiny particles make it look different. When the sun is high in the sky, it looks blue because blue light bounces around more. But when the sun is low, like during sunrise or sunset, red and orange light have to travel further, so they get noticed more. That’s why the sky turns warm colors then.

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Examples

When you watch the sunset, the sky turns red because it's like looking through a thick layer of air that filters out blue.
Imagine blue paint being scattered all around, that’s how the sky looks during the day.
At sunrise, the sun is low on the horizon and looks orange, just like an orange juice box.

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Categories: Math · light· optics· atmosphere· scattering· color theory