The sky is blue during the day and red at sunset because light travels through air in different ways depending on the time of day.
Light is like tiny balls that come from the sun. These balls are all mixed up, some are blue, some are red, and others are colors in between. When it's daytime, the air is like a big sponge that catches more of the blue balls than the red ones, so we see blue sky.
What happens at sunset?
At sunset, the sun is low on the horizon, and its light has to go through much more air before it reaches us. This means the air catches even more of the blue balls, leaving mostly red and orange balls to reach our eyes, that's why sunsets look red or orange.
It’s like when you have a big jar of mixed candy. If you take some out quickly, you might get more blue ones, but if you dig deep into the jar, you’re more likely to find red and orange candies, just like how light travels through air!
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See also
- What Causes the Northern Lights?
- How Does a Mirror Work Exactly?
- How Does Gravity Affect the Moon’s Orbit?
- What Causes a ‘Golden’ Sunset or Sunrise?
- How Does Gravity Affect Space Travel?