What would be the colour of the sky as viewed by an astronaut at the International Space Station?

Correct option is A

The correct answer is (a) Black.

The color of the sky is determined by the scattering of sunlight by atmospheric particles.

• The sky appears blue on Earth because of Rayleigh scattering, where shorter wavelength light (blue) is scattered more than longer wavelengths (red).
• However, in space, there is no atmosphere to scatter sunlight. As a result, there is no diffusion of light, and the sky appears completely black to astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS).
• The Sun and other celestial objects appear bright, but the background remains black due to the absence of air molecules to scatter light.

Information Booster:

Why Does the Sky Appear Blue on Earth?

• Rayleigh Scattering:
• Blue light has a shorter wavelength, so it gets scattered more by air molecules than red light.
• This is why the sky appears blue to observers on Earth.

Why Does the Sky Appear Black in Space?

• Absence of Atmosphere: No air molecules to scatter sunlight.
• Direct Sunlight: Objects appear bright, but the background remains dark.
• Deep Space Observations: Telescopes like Hubble and James Webb observe space in complete darkness.

Additional Knowledge:

The sky appears red at sunrise or sunset on Earth due to the longer path of sunlight through the atmosphere.