Articles | Volume 23, issue 23
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14829-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14829-2023
Research article
 | 
01 Dec 2023
Research article |  | 01 Dec 2023

Revisiting the question “Why is the sky blue?”

Anna Lange, Alexei Rozanov, and Christian von Savigny

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Cited articles

Adams, C. N., Plass, G. N., and Kattawar, G. W.: The influence of ozone and aerosols on the brightness and color of the twilight sky, J. Atmos. Sci., 31, 1662–1674, 1974. a, b, c, d
Billmeyer Jr., F. W. and Fairman, H. S.: CIE Method For Calculating Tristimulus Values, Color Res. Appl., 12, 27–36, https://doi.org/10.1002/col.5080120106, 1987. a
Commission Internationale De L'Eclairage (CIE): CIE 15: 2004 – Colorimetry, 3rd edn., Technical Report, Internationale De L’Eclairage (CIE), ISBN 3901906339, 2004. a
Dave, J. V. and Mateer, C. L.: The effect of stratospheric dust on the color of the twilight sky, J. Geophys., 73, 6897–6913, 1968. a
Gadsden, M.: The colour of the zenith twilight sky: absorption due to ozone, J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phy., 3, 176–180, https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9169(57)90101-0, 1957. a
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We were able to demonstrate quantitatively that the blue colour of the sky cannot be solely attributed to Rayleigh scattering. The influence of ozone on the blue colour of the sky is calculated for different viewing geometries, total ozone columns and an enhanced stratospheric aerosol scenario. Furthermore, the effects of polarisation, surface albedo and observer height are investigated.
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