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prompter
Why is the sky blue?
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091cf5cd-d8f9-4d81-b774-3b5555e23ee2
assistant
The sky appears blue to us because molecules in the air scatter blue light from the sun more than other colors. As sunlight passes through the atmosphere, the relatively shorter wavelength of blue light means that it gets scattered more frequently by the air molecules and small particles. This is known as Rayleigh scattering and it gives the sky an appearance of being blue. The color of the sky varies based on conditions like the position of the sun and the level of dust or water droplets in the atmosphere. But during daylight hours, the blue wavelength of light gets scattered the most giving the sky its characteristic blue appearance.
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e7bffa4b-e366-4e4e-80cc-4d0ef65d305d
prompter
Why are sunsets orange?
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be3acd7f-c0ba-48cc-97e4-2b6717e4b108
assistant
During sunset light from the sun has to travel a longer distance through the atmosphere. Since blue light is scattered more strongly by the atmosphere, than orange or red light, less of it reaches your eyes. This results in the orange, or even red, color of the sky during sunsets.
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c7bc5164-f21a-4b1f-b872-97a99094f852
prompter
Could you tell me more about Rayleigh scattering? As I understood from your answers, this is an important factor in such cases. Besides, do we know what colors the sky can take even theoretically?