Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains the REAL Color of the Sun

Is the sun yellow? Like in those pictures you drew as a kid? The answer is no. On this StarTalk explainer, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice investigate the true color of the Sun.

Neil explains why the Sun’s true color is white. You’ll learn how the atmosphere takes the Sun’s white light and turns it into something else. You’ll also learn why the blue sky is stolen sunlight.

Lastly, Neil gives us a photography lesson and tells us how photographers deal with different light. We investigate indoor vs. outdoor light. All that, plus, Neil explains why snow being white is evidence of the Sun’s white light.

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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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[KusanagiMotoko]

I like the idea of Chuck just minding his own business at his house and Neil just calls him at any time to explain random scientific concepts to him.

[bhaveshchoudhary]

Teacher: why have you drawn the sun white?
Me: Well, the atmosphere....

[williampagdon]

I have worked in Spectroscopy for 38 years and still enjoy Mr. Tyson's explanations for Light. While his knowledge is vast, he speaks in clear Terms that virtually anyone can understand. It is a gift that few have.

[juddvance]

Even when I know the concept ahead of time, Neil explains it way better than I do. I love to hear him teach.

[kitkatsci]

"the blue sky is stolen sunlight"
Keeping that line locked in my brain.

[_Killkor]

Child: "Mom, look at my drawing!"
*shows a blank piece of paper*
Mom: "What is this?"
Child: "Sun."

[orko]

"The Sun is white."

"Why you gotta do that?"

[sixstanger]

Neil's explanation of outdoor/indoor film has just made me realize why old VHS camcorders had indoor/outdoor modes, and if you accidentally went outside with it set on "indoor" mode, everything would look tinted blue, and if you accidentally left it on "outdoor mode" inside, everything would look too yellowish.

[amandas.]

That's the best explanation of "why is the sky blue" I've ever heard!

[user]

This is not just great Physics. It’s great Chemistry between them.

[EddieDexterStewart]

Videographer and editor here. The explanation of white balancing and hot/cold light is absolutely correct.

[ruaboutasize]

I explained this in much simpler terms to my 4 year old daughter, and the look of awe and amazement on her face was the most beautiful thing I could ever see. I imagine that’s what Dr Tyson sees in lecture halls when he has to describe things to attendees as if they are 4 year olds.

[darrentayloe]

Combining science with humor is a great idea. This was educational and fun to watch. Thank you!

[DaveAdams]

Being into photography myself, I've replaced all of the bulbs in my home with 5000K "daylight" units with super high CRI. Even shooting through a phone camera the difference is immediately noticeable. I knew this was the case but didn't know the "science" behind it. This helped a lot!

[Johnnyred]

Bravo Neil. I am a lighting designer for theatre and you hit the nail on the head about the subject: the color of light.

[perseusarkouda]

As a videographer I was always wondering as to why the video lights with higher kelvin were actually colder (blueish). Then I realized when we set higher kelvin on camera to get warmer (yellowish) colors was because we made the camera less sensitive to higher temperature and not because we were matching with the actual sunlight kelvin.

[taylorrobeug]

Neil: not everything is about race

Chuck: first Jazz then the blues now they took the Sun too.

[johnbenya]

Dad was in the Navy. They had a saying. "Red sky at night sailors delight, red sky at morning sailor take warning" refers to the days weather and wind and rain. (Has something to do with clouds many miles away.) What I found was it is basically true. If the sunset was yellow, rain the next day, if deeper yellow rain with wind. Most times in the northern hemisphere. A video on this would be very interesting.

[SPACE-CWBY]

I learned something 😂 Neil never fails to make science easy to understand and entertaining to listen to

[wendelynanderson]

I just love Dr. Tyson. As a textile designer myself, I had to study color science which I find fascinating. The most fundamental principle we had to understand is that there is no color without light, & the kind of light you have available to see, the sun, candlelight, electric or digital, will affect or determine what colors you see. And as the sun sets our perceptions of color become less saturated & gray.