When a total solar eclipse occurs, it’s not just the celestial show that captivates observers. The world below undergoes a fascinating transformation as well. Takeshi Yoshimatsu, a color vision expert at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, explains the two factors behind this color shift.
Firstly, the atmosphere plays a crucial role. Sunlight consists of a spectrum of colors, and on a typical day, particles and water droplets in the air scatter sunlight differently. Blue light waves scatter more than red waves due to their shorter wavelengths, creating the blue sky we see. Meanwhile, red waves are more likely to reach the ground, leading to a unique color display on Earth.
2024-04-01 10:45:00
Originally published on www.sciencenews.org