The Sun is our closest star and the source of energy that motivates the growth and development of life on Earth. Thanks to the heat and light that reaches us from its surface, the water on our planet is in a liquid state, which together with the ability of plants to develop photosynthesis allows life to develop on our planet. However, one of the things that can most attract the attention of our closest star is its yellowish color. When we see fire, which we usually identify as extremely hot, we see that the most common color is red or orange.
So if the Sun is much hotter than fire, why is the Sun yellow? If you want to discover it, keep reading AgroCorrn and we will tell you in a simple way, which will also serve as an explanation for children.
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The colors of the stars
In reality, the stars of the Universe are not of a single color. In fact, we can find a great variety of colors when it comes to stars, going from red to blue, going through orange, yellow and even green. Despite what it may seem, the color of stars depends mainly on their surface temperature .
In this way, the less hot stars (those that are around 3,000 K of temperature) have a reddish color. Likewise, those that are hotter (those around 40,000 K) have a bluish appearance. In between, we find a lot of temperatures that determine the color of the stars, the most common being those in a range close to a temperature close to about 5,000 or 6,000 K, which have a yellowish hue.
Why do we see the Sun in yellow color: simple explanation
As we have seen, the color of stars is determined by their surface temperature. In this way, depending on the temperature at which the Sun is, it will be of one color or another. In the case of the star of the Earth, the Sun, it is a star with a surface temperature of around 6,000 K temperature . Because of this, it is a star whose color is yellow-green .
However, it must be borne in mind that, unless we observe it through a space telescope , most of the times we see the Sun we do so from the surface of the Earth and, as we all know, the Earth has an atmosphere. In fact, it is an atmosphere with a high oxygen concentration, which, among other things, allows us to breathe. However, when yellow-green light reaches the surface of the Sun from the surface of the Sun where we see it, it has to pass through our atmosphere first. When passing through the air, the color of the light that reaches us also varies, and this is the reason why, although the sunlight has a certain greenish tone, it is completely lost and the only color that we appreciate is yellow. of the sun.
To explain it in a simple way to children, we can tell them that in reality, in space, the sunlight is yellow-greenish, but when it reaches the Earth the yellow color is much more visible and, therefore, we can see it So.
Why the fire is red or orange
As we have said, the color of stars depends on their surface temperature. Although what we usually think is that fire is very hot, in reality, it is a very low temperature compared to what can be reached on the surface of a star. Therefore, the most common color of fire is red . Although for us fire is the hottest thing we usually find on Earth, compared to the stars, it is a very small temperature.
In fact, if we observe a flare well, either from a fireplace or a bonfire, we can see that different colors are appreciated. The distribution of these colors also refers to the areas where higher temperatures of the flame are reached, although in none of these points the temperature is not even close to that of the surface of the Sun.. If we look closely at the fire, we will see that the bluish tones appear closest to the fuel that is burned (for example, a piece of wood). Next, the yellow tones will appear and finally the part furthest from the fuel will be the red or orange part. In general, as this part is the largest and the one that is most visible, the color of fire is usually associated with these colors. But, in reality, if we look closely, we will see that all the aforementioned colors are a common part of most flames or bonfires.
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