Learn what color the Sun is and why it appears different colors from Space, the Earth, and in photographs. The Sun would have to emit only green light for our eyes to perceive it as green. This means the actual colour of the Sun is white.
So, why does it generally look yellow? This is because the Earth's atmosphere scatters blue light more efficiently than red light. The color of the sun reveals a range of information about our star including the stages of its life and how it interacts with the atmosphere of Earth. The sun is white-kind of.
It depends on your interpretation of color, the way colors work, the way our eyes see and, just as importantly, the air we see through. Think the Sun is yellow? Think again. Discover the true color of our star and why it looks so different from Earth's surface.
The sun's true color is blue-green, but it appears yellow on Earth due to the scattering of blue light by our atmosphere. The sun also looks white in space, where all colors are combined. Sunglight is composed of colors from violet to red (abbreviated as VIBGYOR).
Violet has the lowest wavelength and red has the highest wavelength. Combinedly, this forms a white color, which is the net color of the Sun. The sun's journey from its current white brilliance to its future transformations illustrates the intricate relationship between light, perception, and cosmic evolution.
While Earth's atmosphere creates a colorful illusion, the sun's true essence remains a beacon of combined colors. The Sun often appears yellow or orange, a common misconception given its true color is white when viewed from space without atmospheric interference. This difference between perception and reality stems from how light is produced, travels, and interacts with Earth's atmosphere, along with how human eyes interpret various wavelengths of light.
In conclusion, while the sun may appear yellow to us on Earth due to atmospheric scattering, its true color is white, reflecting the broad spectrum of light it emits. Understanding the sun's color helps us appreciate the complex interactions between light and our atmosphere.