The Sun's Yellow Hue:
* The sun actually emits all colors of the rainbow (white light). This is because it's a giant ball of hot gas, and the energy it releases creates light across the entire spectrum.
* The Earth's atmosphere scatters the sunlight. This scattering is called Rayleigh scattering, and it primarily affects shorter wavelengths of light (blue and violet).
* Our eyes perceive the remaining light as yellow. The blue and violet light is scattered away, leaving the longer wavelengths (yellow, orange, and red) to reach our eyes. This is especially true at sunrise and sunset when the light has to travel through more atmosphere.
The Sky's Blue Color:
* Rayleigh scattering again! The tiny molecules in the atmosphere (mainly nitrogen and oxygen) scatter the shorter wavelengths of light more effectively than the longer wavelengths.
* Blue light is scattered the most. This scattered blue light reaches our eyes from all directions, making the sky appear blue.
* The sky appears darker blue at higher altitudes. There's less atmosphere to scatter the light, so the blue appears more intense.
Important Note: The sun's actual color is closer to white, and it appears yellow only because of the way the Earth's atmosphere filters its light.
