What color is the Sun when looked at from Earth and from outer space? Everybody knows that the Sun is a very hot star. It gives out light and electromagnetic waves. These waves have colours ranging from violet to red. The colour yellow is what most people associate the Sun with. But is that the true colour of the Sun? Does the Earth’s atmosphere have any effects on its colour? If one would go to space, would the Sun still look yellow?
One should first know the spectral of the Sun’s light. If the red, blue and yellow in the spectrum of the Sun are of the same amount then the colour that it should bring forth is white. The Sun is so strong, bright and hot that it emits these wavelengths. Thus it gives the appearance of being white. But it also has very strong lines of yellow that is why it looks yellowish.
What color is the Sun from Earth? If one is looking at the Sun from Earth then the Sun would look more yellow than when viewed from space. The atmosphere of our planet actually has something to do with this. The blue light actually scatters once it reaches the atmosphere thus, making the colour yellow more prominent. The sky, which is blue, has this contrasting effect on the Sun’s yellow colour and enhances it more.
What color is the Sun from space? It is whiter in colour with a slight tint of yellow. Compared to the Sun being observed from Earth, it would look more whitish and bright. That is because there is no atmosphere to disseminate the blue and the background from space is black. There is no contrast to make it look more yellow.
The Sun has many colours and because of the intensity of those colours our eyes can’t take them all on that is why it appears white. But because it has strong lines of yellow it gives that slight yellowish tint. So it is safe to say that the Sun is white with a yellowish tint.