Here's how it works:
* Sunlight: Sunlight is composed of all colors of the rainbow, which are different wavelengths of light.
* Rayleigh Scattering: When sunlight enters the Earth's atmosphere, it interacts with molecules in the air, primarily nitrogen and oxygen. These molecules are much smaller than the wavelengths of visible light. This size difference leads to a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering.
* Shorter Wavelengths Scatter More: Rayleigh scattering causes shorter wavelengths of light (blue and violet) to scatter more strongly than longer wavelengths (red and orange).
* Blue Sky: As a result, we see a blue sky because the scattered blue light reaches our eyes from all directions.
Important Note: While violet light scatters even more strongly than blue, our eyes are more sensitive to blue light. This is why the sky appears blue, not violet.
