Solar System – Page 3

Solar System Distances in Simple Terms

This is about the distances in our Solar System. In a station wagon, you’d have to drive to Venus for 17, 000 days. So if you want to learn all about the distances in our solar system in simple terms, then you’re in the right place. Let’s jump right in! Distances in Our Solar System Equipped with truly magnificent technology, mankind has discovered, explored, and even physically touched some breathtaking sights among our vast cosmos. In fact, with widely accessible images from Hubble and several successful missions, it sometimes feels as though we’ve “been there, done that.” However, we’ve barely experienced our own solar system, let alone our Milky Way galaxy or beyond. Let’s start right at home with our Solar System distances: Basic Information Firstly, let’s establish some very basic information, like our speed and units of measurement. If we define these things and keep them consistent, it will be much easier to understand distances. Our Speed Assume that we are traveling in a spacecraft capable of 36,000 mph speeds. Actually, this really was the record-breaking speed set by New Horizons as it left Earth in 2006. Granted, many factors can affect speeds in space. Gravity, planets, stars, they all speed us up, or slow us down. But, forget this and assume we are traveling along at a constant 36,000 mph. Our Measurements Next, we will take on some truly huge numbers in this article. However, don’t worry. Zero math is involved. But, we still need something to help our human brains understand these vast distances. We will use the astronomical unit. Astronomical Unit (AU) One astronomical unit, or AU, is the average distance between Earth and the Sun. In other words, 93 million miles. Using AUs will make it easier to understand distances between planets and other solar system locations. Ok, let’s dig in! Inner Planets Make no mistake. Our solar system is home. But, home itself is truly gigantic. Our journey begins with our solar system’s inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and our home, Earth. Simply to arrive at our closest neighbor, Venus, would take almost a full month at 36,000 mph. Mercury and Mars, both around two months. “But, two months isn’t that long,” you say! Indeed, two months is not even a full season here on planet Earth. However, imagine visiting an out-of-state relative or a national park. Sitting in the back seat of mom and dad’s station wagon for two months, or over 60 days, would be rather unbelievable, no? Just for fun, briefly imagine driving only highway speeds now (65 mph). Now, your trip to Venus would require over 550 months or almost 17 thousand days. Mars would be over a thousand months, 31 thousand days. And, these are just our solar system’s “inner” planets. Looking up from our backyard to see Venus or Mars using only our naked eye makes them feel close, like neighbors. We find safety and comfort in the feeling of being in a home. However, once we begin comparing even these “nearby” distances to our own Earth experiences, a new perspective appears. Let’s keep moving! Outer Planets Next, we journey to the outer gas giant planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Suddenly, our trips begin taking serious time. In fact, visiting our biggest planet, Jupiter, would be a 15-month journey. That’s more than 450 days or nearly 11 thousand hours. Next up, Saturn at 8 AU from home would take over 30 months, or over 900 days. Now, that station wagon backseat is sounding pretty horrific, huh? At last, we approach the frozen outer planets, the ice giants. Uranus would take almost 58 months to reach, nearly 2,000 days, or 47 thousand hours. Last but not least, Neptune is sitting at a distant 30 AU. Now, this trip rings in at over 104 months, just over 3,100 days—nearly 75,000 hours. Finally, let’s visit the former ninth planet, Pluto, at 40 AU from Earth. Sitting in the outskirts of our solar system, Pluto would require nearly 15 years to reach. In other words, more than 5,300 days, or almost 128-thousand hours. The average human life lasts around 672,000 hours. Therefore, visiting Pluto would require around 20% of a lifetime. Again, for grins, let’s briefly imagine setting out for Pluto at Earth’s highway speeds. Suddenly, a Pluto trip takes over 8 thousand years, or 100 thousand months, 72 million hours. In other words, if you left for Pluto as the Bible was being written, you’d still have 6,000 years left in your trip. Note: Indeed, New Horizons completed its Pluto trip in just under a decade. However, other factors, like gravity, helped make this possible. Kuiper Belt Wait, our journey is not over yet! Indeed, beyond our planets, a doughnut-shaped region exists called the Kuiper Belt. Containing millions of icy objects, the Kuiper Belt even hosts a dwarf planet, Pluto. But, unlike Pluto, this cosmic ice doughnut is seriously large. In fact, the Kuiper Belt stars at around 30 AU away from Earth and continues on for another 20 AU. Simply put, the doughnut is 1.8-billion-miles wide. Crossing the Kuiper Belt would require over 2,100 days or nearly 6 years. However, even simply arriving at the Kuiper Belt from Earth would be a 3,200-day journey. Put another way. Two full presidential terms would have passed by the time you arrived at the Kuiper Belt. Oort Cloud As if a frozen space doughnut around our solar system isn’t odd enough, there’s more. Actually, a massive frozen cloud, called the Oort Cloud, also surrounds our solar system. Unlike the flat Kuiper Belt, think of the Oort Cloud as a gigantic bubble or sphere. Now, this is where our solar system distances become extremely large. The Oort Cloud begins at around 5,000 AU from home and continues for another 95,000 AU. Think about that for a moment. In other words, this frozen bubble is almost 9 trillion miles thick. You would have to line up over 3 billion United States to equal its distance. That’s equal to traveling to Pluto and all the way …

Astronomy

10 Fascinating Facts About the Sun

These are 10 fascinating facts about the Sun. From the Sun being our Solar System down to the Sun one day destroying the Earth. So if you want to learn 10 fascinating facts about our Sun, then this article is for you. Let’s get started! 10 Sun Facts All of us have experienced the Sun. We see it in the sky. We feel its warmth on our skin. But, our home star is also filled to the brim with cool facts. So, here are 10 fascinating facts about the Sun! #1 Our Sun Is Middle-Aged The Sun is a type G2V main-sequence star. In other words, our Sun is currently middle-aged. Main sequence stars are in their prime, alive and well. But, unlike humans, middle-aged stars, like the Sun, are around 5 billion years old. #2 The Sun IS the Solar System It is no secret that the Sun is gigantic. But, how gigantic? Well, the Sun makes up a whopping 99.8% of all the mass in our solar system. So, Jupiter, Earth, Neptune, and everything else only account for a measly 0.2%. Yep, that’s big. #3 How Much Bigger Is the Sun Than Earth? Nearly 1.3 million Earths could fit inside the Sun. Not to mention, the Sun is considered to be a rather “average” sized star in our universe. #4 The Sun Is a Gigantic 100% Green Factory Our Sun, like every star, runs on fuel. However, the Sun’s fuel is a process called nuclear fusion. The extreme pressure inside of the Sun is strong enough to smash hydrogen atoms together to form heavier helium atoms. And, upon smashing, excess energy is released as radiation. This radiation is the heat that flows from the Sun, heating Earth and helping life flourish. #5 Our Sun Will Become a Colorful Cloud of Gas Eventually, when our Sun begins to die, it will shed its outer layers. At this point, it will become a planetary nebula, which is a massive sphere of gas. Next, the newly shed materials will be heated to millions of degrees, glowing in various colors. Of course, this will not happen for billions of years, but what a sight. #6 One Day, the Sun Will Destroy Earth But, never fear, you’ve got 5 to 7 billion years to prepare. Eventually, when the Sun runs out of hydrogen to “burn” as fuel, it will turn into a red giant star. This type of star is much cooler but is truly enormous in size. Upon reaching its massive new size, the newly red Sun will expand out far enough to completely engulf and incinerate Earth. #7 One Day, the Sun Will Destroy Earth After going “red giant,” (see above), the Sun’s leftovers will remain as a white dwarf. When stars die, their own powerful gravity crashes in on themselves. Now, the compact leftovers are an extremely dense white dwarf star, typically around the size of an average planet. #8 The Sun Is Really Fast Yes, we all learn about planets orbiting the Sun. But have you ever wondered how fast the Sun moves through space? After all, the Sun is orbiting the center of our Milky Way galaxy. And, in its travels, the Sun is speeding at around 480,000 miles per hour. But, even at this wild rate, it takes the Sun 230 million years to complete one galactic orbit. #9 Northern Lights Are Caused by the Sun We have all seen the beautiful aurora borealis (or northern lights) of Alaska and other regions. But, did you know the Sun causes these wonderful light shows? As the Sun blows its powerful solar wind, it hits Earth’s atmosphere, and the particles interact. The result of these interactions is the colorful swirls in the northern skies. #10 How Hot Is the Sun? Everyone has felt the Sun’s warmth. We all know it is scalding-hot. But did you know the core of the Sun can reach 27 million degrees? At this temperature, the strongest metals (steel, iron, titanium) would melt instantly. If it were not for the Sun’s own gravity pushing inward, it would explode like a gigantic nuclear bomb.

What is the Coldest Planet in Our Solar System?

Astronomy

Uranus: Coldest Planet in Our Solar System?

This is about the coldest planet in our Solar System: Uranus. Neptune is the most distant planet from the Sun, but Uranus is colder. So if you want to learn why Uranus is the coldest planet in the Solar System, you’ve come to the right place. Without further ado, let’s do this! The Coldest Planet in Our Solar System Is Uranus Indeed, even in our own cosmic backyard, the solar system is full of surprises. In fact, if you read the article about the hottest planet in the Solar System, you probably got an unexpected answer. Well, then what is the coldest planet? Simply put, Neptune is by far the most distant planet from the Sun, isn’t it? And, the further a planet lies from the Sun, the cooler the weather, right? Actually, no, because the coldest planet in the solar system is Uranus. But, how could Uranus be colder than Neptune, which lies a whopping one billion miles further from the Sun? Why Is Uranus the Coldest Planet in Our Solar System? First of all, both Neptune and Uranus hold the title ice giants in our solar system. So, no matter what, both host truly frigid environments. Yet, Uranus remains the crowned record-holder, experiencing temps as low as -371º F. But, why is Uranus the coldest planet? Actually, both planets host nearly identical atmospheres. Furthermore, both planets have substantial amounts of methane in their atmosphere, which is among the most potent greenhouse gases. In other words, methane loves to trap in heat trying to enter a planet’s atmosphere. However, Neptune holds ever so slightly higher amounts of methane. Technically, around 3% versus Uranus’ 2%. Therefore, this slight increase in methane causes more heat to enter Neptune’s atmosphere. As a result, Neptune stays consistently around 6 degrees warmer than Uranus. Another possible explanation for Uranus’ record-breaking temperature comes from its distant past. Long ago, it’s believed that Uranus suffered a wild collision with another space object. Unfortunately, astronomers are completely unsure as to what struck the ice giant. However, the collision ultimately left Uranus mysteriously flipped on its side. Ultimately, Uranus’ core was violently disturbed during the impact. As a result, heat wildly spilled out into space. Now, without powerful internal heat being generated, Uranus host the record-breaking low temperatures we know today.

Astronomy

Venus: Hottest Planet in Our Solar System?

This is about the hottest planet in our solar system: Venus No, it’s not the Sun (also the Sun is a star). So if you want to know about the hottest planet in our Solar System, then you’re in the right place. Let’s get started! The Hottest Planet in Our Solar System Naturally, whatever planet lies closest to the Sun should have the highest temperatures, right? Therefore, shouldn’t Mercury be the warmest in the solar system? Actually, Venus, the second planet from the Sun, is by far the hottest planet. Venus – The Permanent Greenhouse World Basically, the greenhouse effect occurs when radiation (light) passes through a clear medium (like glass). Ultimately, shorter wavelengths, like visible light, easily pass through. However, longer wavelengths, like infrared heat, are unable to pass through, becoming trapped. Actually, we also experience this same effect when our car windows are rolled up on a hot summer day. Similarly, light hits Venus and heats up the surface. Next, the surface tries to radiate the heat back out into space. However, the heat now remains trapped, unable to pass through the thick carbon dioxide atmosphere. As a result, no matter what time of day, month or year, Venus swelters at a whopping 870º F. However, more extreme is almost always possible. The hottest place in the Universe is 620,690 times hotter: 540,000,000° F. In other words, the lead would melt on Venus’ surface at any given time. Venus Used To Be Like Earth Surprisingly, astronomers believe Venus was once quite similar to Earth. In fact, they believe Venus’ surface even hosted liquid water. What happened? Billions of years ago, Venus began heating up. Eventually, all surface water evaporated into the planet’s atmosphere. Not to mention, water vapor is also a powerful greenhouse agent. Ultimately, Venus became so hot that even the carbon in the planet’s rocks and dirt evaporated into the atmosphere, mixing with oxygen to create even more carbon dioxide. Then, over time Venus became the runaway greenhouse heater that it is today. The planet hosts our solar system’s most hostile heat and unbearable pressures. Even being second from the Sun.

Astronomy

5 Fascinating Facts About Mercury

These are 10 fascinating facts about Mercury. Mercury is only slightly wider than the United States. So if you want to learn 5 fascinating facts about Mercury, then you’re in the right place. Let’s get started! 5 Mercury Facts Sitting in the solar system’s inner rings, nearly hidden in our Sun’s glare, is planet Mercury. And, being the solar system’s smallest planet, tiny Mercury holds loads of fascinating secrets. Let’s explore some planet Mercury facts: Mercury: Quick Facts DISTANCE FROM SUN: 35.98 million miles DIAMETER: 3,032 miles HOTTEST TEMPERATURE: 798º F COLDEST TEMPERATURE: -292º F MOONS: 0 #1 Mercury’s Name In Greek and Roman mythology, Mercury (aka Hermes) was the messenger of the Gods. In fact, often depicted with winged shoes, Mercury was fast. And, as we’ll learn below, planet Mercury is no slouch for speed either. #2 Mercury’s Size Even young children know that Mercury is small. But, how small? In fact, Mercury is only around 3,000 miles wide. In other words, only slightly wider than the United States. Furthermore, Mercury is only around 9,000 around, only 38% of Earth. Actually, even Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede, is larger than Mercury. Now, since Mercury is smaller than some moons, you might be asking, “how is Mercury still a planet?” Indeed, Mercury still does meet the International Astronomical Union’s criteria for a planet. However, new definitions and requirements for planetary status are currently in the works, assuming the IAU agrees. #3 Mercury’s Temperature Lying a short 36 million miles from our Sun, Mercury should easily have the hottest temperatures, right? Ironically, no, Venus holds this title. However, Mercury still hosts some of our solar system’s most violent climates. In fact, the side of Mercury facing the Sun can roast at temperatures of 800º Fahrenheit! But, the side facing away can chill at a low -300º. Naturally, this may seem crazy and impossible. However, little Mercury’s atmosphere provides a simple explanation: #4 Mercury’s Atmosphere On Earth, we enjoy a mostly pleasant lifestyle underneath a protective atmosphere. Sadly, Mercury is not as fortunate, having nearly no atmosphere. As a result, our Sun’s deadly radiation pours onto the planet, all but scorching its small surface. And, living so close to our star means much stronger heat. Ouch! Whereas Mercury’s cooler side, facing away from the Sun, also suffers. In fact, no atmosphere also means being unable to trap heat. Therefore, all that brutal radiation from the Sun simply bounces right back out into space. Hence, sub-zero climates on much of Mercury. Finally, Mercury’s paper-thin atmosphere also means no attack prevention. Actually, like our Moon, Mercury’s surface is covered in craters. Throughout its almost 5-billion-year life, comets, asteroids, and other debris have pummeled the small world. #5 Mercury’s Orbit (Years & Days) One year on Earth totals 365 days. Everyone knows this. However, a single Mercury day lasts only 88 days. You see, being close to our Sun makes for shorter years. Plus, as Newton taught us, the closer together, two bodies are, the faster their gravity causes them to travel. Therefore, the Sun’s tremendous gravity makes little Mercury race around. Also, compared to our 24-hour Earth day, Mercury only spins around its axis once every 59 hours. In other words, Mondays would be truly awful.

Astronomy

10 Fascinating Facts About Mars

These are 10 fascinating facts about Mars. From the tallest mountain in our solar system to applying for a one-way ticket. So if you want to know 10 fascinating facts about mars and maybe make it your new home, then you’re in the right place. Let’s get right into it! 10 Mars Facts Mars is one of Earth’s closest neighbors. It’s also the focus of mankind’s likely next journey into space. But, don’t be deceived. Even being right next door, we know very little about this mysterious little red planet. Humans have studied Mars for centuries, and it is one of the few naked-eye planets. So, enjoy these 10 amazing facts about Mars: #1 Mars Used to Have Water Astronomers have searched for the presence of water on Mars for centuries. Water plays a key role in determining whether life could have existed on Mars in the past. More recent studies and remote explorations show canals carved in Mars’ terrain that could have only been created by water flow. Determining the presence of water is important to scientists simply because it’s a “must have” in the search for life beyond Earth. #2 Winner: Tallest Mountain in Our Solar System (on a Planet) One of the red planet’s most infamous features is a former volcano, Olympus Mons. It also takes the medal for the tallest mountain in our solar system, towering at 13.7 miles high. We have heard of 14ers or seen pictures of the legendary Mount Everest. Olympus Mons dwarf these structures, reaching over 70,000 feet into the Martian skies. In other words, you could stack Mount Everest 2.5 times and still not reach as high as Olympus Mons. Or, you could stack the largest U.S. mountain, Denali, three times and still have 12,000 feet to spare. Even though Olympus Mons is billions of years old, its Laval flow evidence indicates it may still be active. #3 Pieces of Mars Can Be Found on Earth Mars, like several inner planets (including Earth), was pummeled by asteroids in its past. However, Mars has a very low gravity (38% of Earth). As asteroids hit Mars, debris from its surface escape gravity and go shooting out into space. As this rogue debris floats around the solar system, some of it is trapped by Earth’s gravity and lands on our planet. NASA has shown that Mars rocks found on Earth are practically identical in composition to surface samples obtained by their Viking Landers in previous decades. #4 Same Seasons, Twice as Long Since Mars is tilted on its axis, it goes through seasons, similar to Earth. However, Martian seasons last twice as long and feel much more extreme than ours. Though the overall temperature is more frigid than Earth (average of -85º F), it can jump quickly. Mars has a little-to-no atmosphere, so heat and cold are not easily trapped, allowing the temperature to rapidly change. #5 Polar Ice Caps Mars is the only planet besides Earth to show ice caps on its poles. The planet was first observed through a telescope by Galileo Galilei in 1610. By the end of the century, Mars’ polar ice caps were discovered. This ice has been a significant factor in searching for past, present, or potential future life on the Red Planet. #6 Named after the Roman god of war, Mars The name comes from the planet’s reddish hue, caused by large amounts of iron oxide (rust) on Mars’ surface. This is also what gives it the more informal name, the Red Planet. #7 Mars Will Have a Ring in the Future Mars has two small known moons, Phobos and Deimos. The moons are slowly orbiting closer and closer to the Martian surface. Eventually (millions of years from now), one of them will collide with Mars, and most of its debris will fly out into orbit around the planet. The result will be a tiny, thin ring. #8 More than 100,000 people have applied to live on Mars Whether it’s caused by Matt Damon, or something else, thousands of people want a one-way ticket to Mars in 2022. The Mars One project hopes to colonize the Red Planet, beginning in 2022. Application fees range from $15 to $40, depending on which country you reside in. However, very little of the mission seems to be successfully orchestrated as of now. Perhaps it will not happen, and the Mars One organization will pocket millions of dollars? #9 Mars Is Entirely Populated by Robots There IS life on Mars. But, it’s exclusively robotic life currently. Presently, seven remotely operated vehicles at the Red Planet perform a myriad of different experiments and observations. There are four orbiting space vehicles, mostly observing atmospheric and surface conditions. And, there are three surface vehicles, mainly investigating the planet’s surface composition and terrain. #10 A Robot Sang Happy Birthday to Itself on Mars We end our 10 amazing facts about Mars with a bitter-sweet fact: On its one-year anniversary of landing on Mars, NASA’s Curiosity Rover “sang” happy birthday to itself. The equipment that analyses samples vibrates at various frequencies to move surface dust. The frequencies usually sound like typical robotic frequencies. But, NASA temporarily tweaked them to perform a happy-birthday-like melody. What a lonely birthday is singing to itself, over 200 million miles from home.

Astronomy

What if Pluto Became Earth’s Second Moon?

This is about what would happen if Pluto became a moon of Earth. Pluto would provide quite a nice place to colonize. So if you want to know what would happen if Plus become Earth’s second moon and all the details about it, then this article is for you. Let’s jump right in! Pluto as Earth’s Second Moon The dwarf planet Pluto is located in the far reaches of the solar system. On average, it is 40 times more distant from the Sun than the Earth. Its surface area is slightly bigger than Russia’s. You can fit 150 Pluto’s inside Earth. So what if this small dwarf planet were to become a moon of the Earth? Pluto Starts Its Travel That would mean that Pluto would need to get closer to the Sun, which would provide quite a few drastic changes to its surface. Pluto would need to travel a massive 4.5 billion miles. Even light takes five hours to reach Pluto from the Earth. Pluto’s surface is 98% nitrogen ice. The melting point of nitrogen is minus 410° F, and the boiling point minus 383° F. But as Pluto approaches Earth, it gets closer to the Sun. The temperature of Pluto would rise. The frozen nitrogen melts and makes a nitrogen ocean that covers the entire surface of Pluto. The only solid thing on Pluto’s surface would be watered bedrock mountains, which would be sticking out of the nitrogen ocean. It would be quite a magnificent sight. The Pluto’s would not last for very long because while Pluto approaches the Earth, it’s getting closer to the Sun. Nitrogen will reach the boiling point, making all of the nitrogen notions slowly evaporate. Creating a very blue and somewhat thick atmosphere. The atmosphere will last only for a few thousand years because of the low gravity. Pluto’s surface area is going to be mostly water ice. It gets frozen at 32° F. Because it will be minus, it will be a frozen water ocean. It will be like that for a long time until it reaches Earth’s orbit, where the temperature is usually 50.3° F. Depending on Pluto’s atmosphere there, the water, ice layer of Pluto will start to unfreeze. Creating a water ocean covering Pluto’s surface. Oceans will likely stay liquid throughout day and night because of the atmosphere. So heat would be transformed. Pluto’s Effects on Earth as a Second Moon Pluto is quite a small object, even smaller than the Moon, and it is smaller by a lot. The Moon’s surface area is double the area of Pluto, and the surface gravity of the Moon is more than two times stronger than Pluto’s. So if Pluto is, let’s say, 300,000 miles away from the Earth, it would not have that much effect. The Earth tides and waves would be a bit bigger, and the day’s length could change by a few minutes. But in general, everything and everyone on Earth would likely be fine. So Pluto would appear as a small blue ball in the sky. It would be smaller than the Moon, but it will look quite magnificent with flowing oceans that would be pretty deep, maybe even more so than the Earth’s ocean. In fact, with Pluto being a moon, it would have more upsides and downsides. Pluto would provide quite a nice place to colonize. It would have water and a good enough temperature with a blue and somewhat to take atmosphere. But the atmosphere will go away after a few thousand years. It will return to the old thin atmosphere, meaning temperature will again begin to be unstable, likely from 122° F during the day and minus 122° F at night. Meaning oceans will freeze during the night and be liquid during the day. Still, humans by that time will likely figure out a way to keep an atmosphere. So, of course, Pluto will not begin to drift towards the Earth. It’s just a fun idea to see what would happen. And it looks like it is quite a good tot that would provide humans another place to live on, which would extend humanity.

Astronomy

What Does a Red Sun Mean?

This is what a red Sun means. Have you ever seen a red Sun? So if you want to know why the Sun might be red and what it means, then this article is for you. Keep reading! First, What Actually Is the Sun? The Sun is the perfect sphere of hot plasma right in the center of our solar system. Basically, it is a giant, gaseous fireball. Even so, it actually has cold spots on it, believe it or not. These cold places on the Sun are called sunspots. Here are some important facts about this wonderful star: Its diameter is 109 times that of Earth (865 miles/1.39 million kilometers). The mass of this star is 330,000 times that of Earth. Roughly 73% of the Sun’s mass consists of hydrogen. The rest is mostly helium (25%), with much smaller quantities of heavier elements, including oxygen, carbon, neon, and iron. The Sun’s core fuses about 600 million tons of hydrogen into helium every second, converting four million tons of matter into energy every second. Why Does the Sun Appear Red? According to Johannes Kepler, the planets revolve around the Sun in an elliptical orbit. We can prove his solar system model is true by examining different phenomena that happen in our solar system. Due to the elliptical orbits, Earth’s distance from the Sun at perihelion (closest to the Sun) and aphelion (farthest from the Sun) is greater than the vertical distance. So at the time of sunrise, the light rays from the Sun have to travel a greater distance in the Earth’s atmosphere before reaching our eyes. This is because the Sun at the horizon will be at a greater distance between the observer and the Sun. In this journey, the white light coming from the Sun has a VIBGYOR pattern. In this pattern, the shorter wavelength and lower speed of blue light cause it to scatter around in the sky. The red light, which has a longer wavelength and a higher speed, reaches our eyes first, and we see a red Sun. When the Sun comes overhead, there is a shorter distance between the observer and the Sun because of the elliptical orbit. At that time, the Sun appears white because there is very little blue light scattered around. When the Sun gets returns to the horizon in the west, the same thing happens again. The distance between our eyes and the Sun increases the red light because of its longer wavelength and faster speed, so what reaches our eyes is the red light, so the Sun appears to be red. Below is a visual to help explain this: The wavelengths of different colors along the visible light spectrum are provided below: Color Wavelength Frequency Violet 380-450 nm 668-789 THz Blue 450-495 nm 606-668 THz Green 495-570 nm 526-606 THz Yellow 570-590 nm 508-526 THz Orange 590-620 nm 484-508 THz Red 620-750 nm 400-484 THz There is another reason the Sun can get red even in the daytime. When dust particles or smoke fills the atmosphere, the longer wavelength of light, which looks red, scatter more effectively. So we see that the Sun is red. It is why we can see spectacular sunsets in a desert environment. Different people have superstitions about see a red Sun. For example, in Korea, people once believed that a red Sun brings bad luck. In many ancient societies, the color red was often associated with shamanistic power and the ability to ward off evil spirits or bad luck. But, why could the color diffraction caused by rays of light going through the dust and pollution in the atmosphere be an “omen,” good or bad? Why do people think that there are such things as “omens”? To answer these questions, we have to remember that people had to develop ways to explain the natural phenomenon without the scientific explanations we have today, which often led to today’s beliefs categorize as myths or superstitions. However, in science, everything happens for a reason. There must be a cause for something to happen. Many times those ancient peoples were not entirely wrong. These unusual phenomena could have some direct effect on the world around them. However, without scientific explanations, omens and similar responses were often the best those ancient people could do to explain those unusual occurrences, like a red Sun. What Is a Blood Moon? Some people claim that a blood moon is a sign for the beginning of the end times. This idea originates in the Book of Joel. The sun will turn into darkness, and the moon into blood before the great and the terrible day of the Lord comes. Joel 2:30-31 When this was written, there was no other explanation for this phenomenon. You have to admit it does look pretty scary. However, today we know that a blood moon, based upon scientific investigation, is nothing more than the scattering of light reflected through dust particles. In other words, it’s not scary at all. In fact, it’s fascinating, don’t you think.