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RE: Sunset in the Tyrrhenian Sea (1 SBD quiz inside)

in #busy6 years ago (edited)

Thank you for participating in this little quiz!

The light scattering that was named after Sir Venkata Raman does occur in the atmosphere, too. However, it's contribution to the red-shift of light observed during sunset (and sunrise) is hardly appreciable (by eye). This effect is mainly caused by the light scattering named after John William Strutt, 3. Baron Rayleigh (<- correct answer).
Both types of scattering are related yet differ in a key aspect. Raman scattering is associated with energy transfer between the photon and the scattering molecule resulting in a shift of the photon's wavelength (or color so to say), whereas Rayleigh scattering only changes the direction of the incoming photon without changing it's energetic state (i.e. color). Light with short wavelengths (perceived as green and blue shades) are scattered more strongly and thus are removed from the incoming sunlight.

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I thought you made a typo because that name is so long, but no his name is actually "John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh"!

Thanks for the physics insights!

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