Do You Know Why The Sea and Sky Are Blue?

When you look up at the sky on a clear day, you will generally see a blue sky. The blue color is also seen in the sea.

Do you know what causes the sea and sky to appear blue? The book 'The Story of 1001 Super Science Facts in the World' explains that the Earth's atmosphere contains small gas molecules and dust particles (grains).

Sunlight entering the atmosphere meets the gas molecules and dust particles. Light colors that have longer light waves, such as red and yellow, can pass through and penetrate the gas and dust molecules.

However, the blue color which has a shorter light wave is reflected back up into the atmosphere. That's why the sky looks blue.

The same principle applies to water in the sea or lake that appears blue. If the sky isn't blue during the day, it means the air is dusty or foggy.

This situation is different when looking at the sky at sunset. Sunlight travels farther through Earth's atmosphere as a result of which the blue color will be more scattered and the less scattered color that is red will be more visible.