What Makes the Sky Change Colors at Night?

The sky changes color at night because of tiny particles in the air. Imagine you're looking at a big, glowing ball (like the sun or moon), and it shines through a special blanket made of little pieces, like a filter. These pieces change how the light looks to our eyes, making the sky appear different colors, from blue to purple and even green.

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. A bright full moon on a cloudy night makes the sky look purple because the clouds catch the light like a blanket.
  2. Sunset colors become more vivid when there's smoke from a fire, making the sky look orange or red.
  3. At night, the sky sometimes glows green if there are high energy particles in the air.

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity

Nothing here yet.