Why is light from the Sun white, yet it looks yellow?

The Earth’s atmosphere protects us from the harsh environment of space, but it also alters the way we see objects beyond it. Atoms, molecules and other particles in the air absorb, scatter and refract any light passing through. When we look at the Sun on Earth, the shorter, bluer wavelengths of light are scattered by the atmosphere, only allowing the longer, redder wavelengths through, making it appear yellower. This is more pronounced the more atmosphere the light has to pass through, hence why the Sun is a deep orange-red at sunrise and sunset.

Even when viewed from space, however, light from the Sun isn’t perfectly white. Rather than emitting an even amount of light across all colours, the Sun radiates different amounts of light at different wavelengths in a way that is characteristic of its temperature. The Sun shines brightest at green wavelengths, but has more light at the redder side of the visible spectrum than the blue. Recent simulations of stellar light and its perception by the human eye showed that if we were to view the Sun from space – dialling down the brightness so we wouldn’t be blinded – it would

have a very pale orange tone.