Sky

The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes

the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer
space, thus distinct from outer space.
In the field of astronomy, the sky is also called the celestial sphere. This is an abstract
sphere, concentric to the Earth, on which the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars appear to be drifting.
The celestial sphere is conventionally divided into designated areas called constellations.
Usually, the term sky informally refers to a perspective from the Earth's surface; however, the
meaning and usage can vary. An observer on the surface of the Earth can see a small part of the
sky, which resembles a dome (sometimes called the sky bowl) appearing flatter during the day than
at night.[1] In some cases, such as in discussing the weather, the sky refers to only the lower, denser
layers of the atmosphere.
The daytime sky appears blue because air molecules scatter shorter wavelengths of sunlight more
than longer ones (redder light).[2][3][4][5] The night sky appears to be a mostly dark surface or region
spangled with stars. The Sun and sometimes the Moon are visible in the daytime sky unless
obscured by clouds. At night, the Moon, planets, and stars are similarly visible in the sky.
Some of the natural phenomena seen in the sky are clouds, rainbows,
and aurorae. Lightning and precipitation are also visible in the sky. Certain birds and insects, as well
as human inventions like aircraft and kites, can fly in the sky. Due to human activities, smog during
the day and light pollution during the night are often seen above large cities.

Etymology
The word sky comes from the Old Norse sky, meaning 'cloud, abode of God'. The Norse term is also
the source of the Old English scēo, which shares the same Indo-European base as the
classical Latin obscūrus, meaning 'obscure'.
In Old English, the term heaven was used to describe the observable expanse above the earth.
Throughout mentions in Middle English, it was gradually restricted to its current, religious meaning.[6]

During daytime
See also: Atmospheric optics and Diffuse sky radiation

Sky during day time

Earth's atmosphere scatters a greater proportion of blue light than of red light.

Except for direct sunlight, most of the light in the daytime sky is caused by scattering, which is

dominated by a small-particle limit called Rayleigh scattering. The scattering due to molecule-sized
particles (as in air) is greater in the directions both toward and away from the source of light than it is
in directions perpendicular to the incident path.[7] Scattering is significant for light at all visible
wavelengths, but is stronger at the shorter (bluer) end of the visible spectrum, meaning that the
scattered light is bluer than its source: the Sun. The remaining direct sunlight, having lost some of its
shorter-wavelength components, appears slightly less blue.[5]
Scattering also occurs even more strongly in clouds. Individual water droplets refract white light into
a set of colored rings. If a cloud is thick enough, scattering from multiple water droplets will wash out
the set of colored rings and create a washed-out white color.[clarification needed][8]
The sky can turn a multitude of colors such as red, orange, purple, and yellow (especially near
sunset or sunrise) when the light must travel a much longer path (or optical depth) through the
atmosphere. Scattering effects also partially polarize light from the sky and are most pronounced at
an angle 90° from the Sun. Scattered light from the horizon travels through as much as 38 times
the air mass as does light from the zenith, causing a blue gradient looking vivid at the zenith and
pale near the horizon.[9] Red light is also scattered if there is enough air between the source and the
observer, causing parts of the sky to change color as the Sun rises or sets. As the air mass nears
infinity, scattered daylight appears whiter and whiter.[10]
Apart from the Sun, distant clouds or snowy mountaintops may appear yellow. The effect is not very
obvious on clear days, but is very pronounced when clouds cover the line of sight, reducing the blue
hue from scattered sunlight.[10] At higher altitudes, the sky tends toward darker colors since scattering
is reduced due to lower air density. An extreme example is the Moon, where no atmospheric
scattering occurs, making the lunar sky black even when the Sun is visible.[11]
Sky luminance distribution models have been recommended by the International Commission on
Illumination (CIE) for the design of daylighting schemes. Recent developments relate to "all sky
models" for modelling sky luminance under weather conditions ranging from clear to overcast.[12]