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1 Soaking Up the Season’s Sweetest Moments 2 Host a Movie Night Under the Stars The Smart Strategy for Resolving Family Disputes 3 Divorce-Proof Your Wallet Delightful Banana Bread 4 How Science Reveals Our Sun’s True Color Inside This Issue
Shedding Light WHAT COLOR IS THE SUN?
Did you know the color of fire is determined by its temperature? For example, blue and violet flames are hottest at a scorching 2,900 degrees Fahrenheit, while red flames are considerably cooler at around 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. This may leave you wondering: If the hottest fire on Earth is blue, why is the sun yellow? For starters, it isn’t . The explanation is fascinating and may surprise you! WHAT COLOR IS THE SUN? A star’s color — like fire — is based on its surface temperature and the wavelength of colors perceivable by the human eye. Like with fire on Earth, the coldest stars appear red, whereas the hottest stars appear blue. Our sun’s surface is around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit — a median temperature as far as stars are concerned — and emits light across the entire visible color spectrum. However, our sun actually emits the greatest
amount of light in a green wavelength, but not in great enough quantities for our eyes to perceive it. Because of this, if we were to look at our sun from space, the near-equal saturation of colors would cause us to perceive it as being white. Astronauts get the opportunity to witness the true color of the sun all the time — hopefully, they don’t stare for too long.
WE SEE FILTERED SUNLIGHT. The sun does not appear white from our
perspective because of our atmosphere: When sunlight reaches Earth, our atmosphere filters out a greater proportion of blue light than red light, causing our sun to appear yellow. Likewise, when sunlight has to penetrate a greater proportion of our atmosphere — such as during sunrise and sunset — the sun takes on a red, vibrant appearance. Hopefully, this information helps you see the sun in a new light!
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