What color is Sunlight?

Sunlight is composed of every color. When Sunlight passes through a prism, the light is separated into a rainbow of different colors.

Separation of Sunlight by a Glass Prism

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Blue

Indigo

Violet

HINT: Many people remember the colors of the rainbow by remembering the name ROY G. BIV ( RO Y G. BI V)

Sunlight your
eyes CAN see
(visible)

red

orange

yellow

green

blue

indigo and violet

Light can be regarded as a wave with the different colors representing different wavelengths. (This is why we sometimes talk about "light waves.") Our Sun emits almost every wavelength of light, even
light our eyes can't see.
Each different part of
Sunlight tells scientists
different information
about our Sun.

Sunlight your
eyes CANNOT see
(invisible)

radio

microwaves

infrared

ultraviolet

X-Rays

Gamma Rays

Now Showing at the YPOP Theater!

Scientists look at the Sun with special telescopes that are able to see only specific colors of light -- even the wavelengths that are invisible to your eye. The Sun looks different, depending on which wavelengths we choose. In the YPOP Spotlight is a set of images to show you what the Sun actually looks like in all these different ranges of wavelength, from radio to X-rays. Why not check it out when you're done with this Tour?

One Step Back

One Step Ahead

(Back to the Beginning of the Tour)

Image Credit:
Center for Extreme Ultraviolet Astrophysics Education Program, University of California at Berkeley