What determines the "colour" of clouds? Learn the science that will make looking up at the sky more fun!
//Summary - Level-B2//
The colour of clouds is mainly determined by light. Clouds look white because visible light, which includes all colours, scatters when it hits the cloud's water droplets. Tall or thick clouds appear grey or dark because light weakens as it passes through them. During sunrise or sunset, clouds can look red or orange due to the sun's angle. These colour changes depend on the sky's condition and time of day. Cloud expert Kentaro Araki explains these ideas simply in his book, helping readers enjoy the beauty and mystery of the sky even more.
1)
The sky, clouds, and weather are familiar to us, but there are many things we don't know. Cloud researcher Kentaro Araki gently answers simple questions about the sky and weather in his book "All the Mysteries of the Sky! An Amazing Weather Encyclopedia".
Araki is a sky specialist who has been a meteorological supervisor for popular movies and dramas.
He explains interesting and useful stories about the sky, including clouds, rain, snow, rainbows, and sometimes even typhoons and tornadoes, in an easy-to-understand manner. As you read, you will feel that the sky you casually look up at is much closer to you.
2)
The colour of clouds is determined by "light":
We tend to think of clouds as pure white, but sometimes, you can see dark grey, greyish red, or rainbow-colored clouds. Light determines the colour of these expressive clouds.
The light we can see is called visible light. Visible light ranges from red to purple depending on the length of a wave (wavelength), and sunlight appears white because it is a mixture of all colours.
When visible light hits a cloud, which is made up of particles larger than the wavelength of light, it scatters all over the place regardless of the type of colour (wavelength) (Mie scattering). For this reason, the light from the clouds is a mixture of various colours, and the clouds appear white.
3)
The bottoms of tall clouds, such as rain clouds, appear dark and grey because the light is too scattered and weakened inside them.
In the morning and evening, the sun's light passes through the clouds, and only colours close to red remain when they reach our eyes, so the clouds appear burnt.
Clouds' appearances change significantly depending on sky conditions and the time of day, so pay attention to changes in the "complexion" of the clouds.
4)
Trivia:
Visible and invisible light are collectively called "electromagnetic waves." The electromagnetic waves that reach us from the sun include visible light, ultraviolet rays that cause sunburn, and infrared rays that make us feel heat even when we are not touching anything warm.
What determines the "colour" of clouds? Learn the science that will make looking up at the sky more fun!
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