Expert: Jayendra Upadhye - 7/12/2004

Question
Why is the sky blue on Earth but Pinkish on Mars?

Answer
Hi,
Hmm..
I answere that one on askme.com atleast i think a dozen times.
1 - The sky is blue because the reasonably thick atmosphere scatters light of shorter frequency (blue) and this appears as the uniform blue coming from all directions of the sky.

In the evening, the sun's light has to travel thru very long distances in the atmosphere. sufficient for all the blue to be dissipated.

This results in a red sun as well as a reddish sky.
read all about it at the site:
http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/sky_blue.html


2 - the martian atmosphere simply is too thin to give us blue! (as very little scatter).
But it is thick enough to carry suspended particulate matter "limonite" the scatter from which results in a redder sky. (Butter-skotch is the word).
In the absence of these dust particles, the sky would be slightly bluish.
As the dust content on mars varies over long periods, the "sky-color" will vary from fainly blue to deeply red!
use the site:
http://webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/14C.html
Jayen