Intro to Meteorology Week 4
1) Which of the six colors of the rainbow is refracted the greatest?
Out of the 7 colors of the rainbow, Violet is refracted the greatest.
2) What is a mirage and why does it always disappear as the observer gets closer?
A mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays are bent to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. Mirages appear at very low viewing angles, when you are far away. As you approach, the viewing angle increases and the mirage disappears, or moves farther away. The reflection of heat dissipates in the human eye causing the mirage or blur to vanish.
3) If you were looking for a rainbow in the morning, which direction (N, S, E, W) would you face and why?
It is best to look towards the west. Rainbows always appear in the opposite side of the sky away from the sun.
4) What is a halo?
A Halo is a burst of light produced by ice crystals creating colored or white arcs and spots in the sky. Many are near the sun or moon but others are elsewhere and even in the opposite part of the sky. They can also form around artificial lights in very cold weather when ice crystals called diamond dust are floating in the nearby air.
5) Why is the sky blue?
The sky is blue because molecules in the air scatter blue light from the sun more than they scatter red light on a cloudless day. When we look towards the sun at sunset, we see red and orange colors because the blue light has been scattered out and away from the line of sight.
6) Why are sunrises and sunsets red/orange?
Because the light from the sun has passed a long distance through air and some of the blue light has been scattered away. If the air is polluted with small particles, natural or otherwise, the sunset will be redder. Sunsets over the sea may also be orange, due to salt particles in the air. The sky around the sun is seen reddened, as well as the light coming directly from the sun.
7) Why are clouds white?
Clouds are white
Out of the 7 colors of the rainbow, Violet is refracted the greatest.
2) What is a mirage and why does it always disappear as the observer gets closer?
A mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays are bent to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. Mirages appear at very low viewing angles, when you are far away. As you approach, the viewing angle increases and the mirage disappears, or moves farther away. The reflection of heat dissipates in the human eye causing the mirage or blur to vanish.
3) If you were looking for a rainbow in the morning, which direction (N, S, E, W) would you face and why?
It is best to look towards the west. Rainbows always appear in the opposite side of the sky away from the sun.
4) What is a halo?
A Halo is a burst of light produced by ice crystals creating colored or white arcs and spots in the sky. Many are near the sun or moon but others are elsewhere and even in the opposite part of the sky. They can also form around artificial lights in very cold weather when ice crystals called diamond dust are floating in the nearby air.
5) Why is the sky blue?
The sky is blue because molecules in the air scatter blue light from the sun more than they scatter red light on a cloudless day. When we look towards the sun at sunset, we see red and orange colors because the blue light has been scattered out and away from the line of sight.
6) Why are sunrises and sunsets red/orange?
Because the light from the sun has passed a long distance through air and some of the blue light has been scattered away. If the air is polluted with small particles, natural or otherwise, the sunset will be redder. Sunsets over the sea may also be orange, due to salt particles in the air. The sky around the sun is seen reddened, as well as the light coming directly from the sun.
7) Why are clouds white?
Clouds are white