STEM与日常科技·英语30篇（3）
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Rayleigh Scattering and the Color of the Sky
瑞利散射与天空颜色
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Sunlight contains all visible colors, but nitrogen and oxygen molecules scatter shorter blue wavelengths far more strongly than red ones.
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This Rayleigh scattering happens because molecule size is much smaller than light’s wavelength—especially for blue light.
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At noon, the sky looks deep blue because sunlight travels a short path through atmosphere, maximizing blue scatter.
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Near sunrise or sunset, light passes through thicker air, so most blue gets scattered away before reaching your eyes.
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What remains—longer orange and red waves—paints clouds and mountains with warm, dramatic tones.
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On Mars, fine rust dust particles are larger, so they scatter red light more: hence its butterscotch-colored sky.
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Polarized sunglasses work partly by blocking horizontally scattered blue light, reducing glare from water or roads.
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Even though air seems ‘empty’, its invisible molecules constantly reshape how we see light across Earth and beyond.