Return of the Sun

   Winter came early here in the Northeast U.S. We rarely ever get snow here in southern new York before Christmas. When we were growing up, my brothers and i used to pray for snow so we could have a White Christmas and go sleigh riding.

   So today, December 17th, we had our first snowfall. At 6 am there was already an inch, but then it continued until it was 4 or 5 inches. Then came freezing rain, promising to make the roads even more slippery. Followed by rain. So by tonight it will be an icy mess.

   Although it felt like a dark and dreary day, cold and rainy, I knew that as of December 15th, our sunsets here would be a minute later, so that by the end of January it will be light at 5 pm after work. About a week ago sunset was at the same time each day, instead of retreating even early.

   We still have the Winter Solstice on December 21st and that will be when day and night will be of equal length.

   And last year I wrote a lot about the effects that light has on us - how all the darkness so early in the day can make us feel tired, and some people depressed.

   But then I thought about light in terms of color. What can be more beautiful than light when it hits stained glass so that the color in the glass seems to radiate. Is color itself a form of light? Is light a form of color? Doesn't light break down into the colors of the spectrum? At least what we can see with our vision.

   So, if we are craving or  missing light, maybe the use of color in our lives can help compensate for that.

   Surround yourself with your favorite colors. The reds and yellows are warm, invigorating, the blues are cool and calming.

   What started  me down this particular path was looking at the sky and clouds. I was caught by the fact that some of the clouds in the sky were pink. I wondered why pink?

  The reason for colors in the clouds and sky is because light becomes scattered. I never thought about light in these terms before. So light are color are everywhere - we just have to see it with our eyes and conscious of our surroundings.

   Every sunset and sunrise are different colors every day. No two are ever alike, which to me is amazing. Imagine how boring ti would be if everything was the same every day.

   So the blue color of the sky is a direct result of what is called "Rayleigh" scattering which redirects the higher frequency (blue) sunlight back into the field of view. Blue light is scattered more easily than red, so the Sun can take on a reddish color when seen through a thick atmosphere like sunrise or sunset.

   As for clouds, when there is a greenish hue in a cloud, it happens when sunlight is scattered by ice. A cumulonimbus cloud (a dense towering vertical cloud) that emits green is evidence of a severe thunderstorm which can produce heavy rain, hail, high winds, and possibly tornadoes. Usually when I see green clouds I know to take cover or head home. The green is usually dark and heavy. the last green clouds I encountered was indeed a coming storm, complete with large hail stones! During Hurricane Andrew in the 90's, I heard from a friend about a greenish color. That was certainly a powerful hurricane, the beginning of a long line of severe hurricanes to pass through the southern United States.

   Yellow colored clouds are usually due to pollutants in the air, caused possibly by forest fires, or nitrogen dioxide in areas of countries with high pollution from industry.

    Of course the most common colors are red, orange or pink clouds which are visible mostly at sunrise and sunset by scattering of light from the Sun.

   Ever notice how the Sun gets bright red like a fiery ball when it is about to disappear below the horizon? That is because the angle between the Sun and horizon changes. If the angle is less than 10 per cent - such as just before sunrise or sunset - red is the most predominant color due to refraction so that any colors other than red cannot be seen.

    And lastly why are clouds white? Within the clouds tiny particles of water are "densely packed." Sunlight, our beautiful life giving sunlight cannot penetrate far into the cloud before it is reflected out, and the result of the reflected light is white.

   So when you can, try to observe sky and or clouds on a regular basis. You will be amazed at the ever changing colors, shapes, thickness, texture that you will see, like an ever changing kaleidoscope. It will connect you to nature instead of the bustle of daily work life, and so you will be, even if in small, living a more natural life. And feel the better for it.

   Enjoy and watch the skies. Thank you to what keeps on making the clouds.

Maery

sources: Wikipedia