• Question: why is the sun yellow?

    Asked by lilyfisher123 to Laura on 19 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Laura Roberts Artal

      Laura Roberts Artal answered on 19 Jun 2013:

      The Sun’s colour is actually white, pure white. Viewed in a telescope with a neutral filter, its image is pure white, not yellow or orange.

      The reason we think it’s yellow is that the only time when we can safely look fdirectly at the Sun is when it is close to the horizon. At that time it is tinted yellow by the Earth’s atmosphere.

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