Did the sun used to appear yellow, and now bright white?

[soothsayer]

Any of you kids remember the sun being more yellowish in appearance than it is now?

[immoderate]

1. The sun is yellow when the sky is blue.

Actually the sun is the definition of white light, which can be broken down into its various colored components by say, passing it through a prism. The atmosphere disperses the blue component and leaves the impression that the sun is more yellow.

Pollutants and other haze in the air may disperse other colors and leave the impression that the sun is more white. Be careful, looking at the sun can hurt your retinas.

--IMM

[soothsayer]

3. Thanks! Ozone depletion changing the appearance a bit?

I only see it yellowish at sunset. Daytime it is too, too bright to even glance at (yes, i did know even as a kid not to stare at it...!).

Just seems brighter and feels stronger.

[immoderate]

4. It appears more yellow at sunrise and sunset because...

it's at more of an angle, so there's more atmosphere for it to go through, therefore the blue light becomes even more dispersed.

I don't think ozone is a factor. There's never much of that. But dust, water vapor, smog, and particulates add to the glariness that I think you're talking about.

--IMM

[soothsayer]

8. Thanks! At least some answers weren't silly.

[immoderate]

12. Jus' showin' off.

--IMM

[Zuni]

9. Actually, there is more Ozone now than 10 years ago

the holes in the Ozone are shrinking, not getting bigger.

[RandomKoolzip]

2. It's the chemtrails.

[Spinzonner]

5. It's probably just burning your retina from looking at it

[Longgrain]

6. The sun's not yellow, IT'S CHICKEN!

:silly:

[A HERETIC I AM]

7. They changed the bulb in 1999

n/t

[candle_bright]

10. Halliburton

has been working on this secret project. I guess it ain't so secret anymore, eh?

[Zuni]

11. I blame the Clintons

:P

[LeftyMom]

13. Apollo put one of those damend hyperwhite bulbs in the chariot nt