00:00 The sky is blue because of a complicated scientific explanation that most adults aren't sure about, but this podcast episode aims to provide an answer to this common question asked by children.

01:48 The reason why the sky is blue is a bit involved, and the truth is that no one really knew why the sky was blue until the 19th century.

03:20 The colors of visible light have different wavelengths, with blue light having a shorter wavelength, and the atmosphere, specifically nitrogen and oxygen molecules, play a role in scattering the blue light from the sun.

04:51 Rayleigh Scattering explains that the blue color of the sky is due to the scattering of shorter wavelengths of light by oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere.

06:24 The blue color of the sky is due to the scattering of shorter wavelengths of light by oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere, and the reason why the sky is blue instead of indigo or violet is because the sun produces more blue light and our eyes are more sensitive to blue. At sunrise or sunset, the sky can appear red, yellow, or orange due to the scattering of shorter wavelengths of light by the atmosphere, and it is possible for the sky to turn other colors, such as green, before a tornado.

07:58 The sky can appear green before a tornado due to the scattering of the green part of the spectrum by water molecules, and the sky on Mars is often a butterscotch color due to dust in the atmosphere, although a blueish halo can be detected near sunset or sunrise.

09:27 The color of the sky can vary depending on the atmosphere and light profile, and the blue color is due to blue light waves bouncing off of molecules in the atmosphere.