Some clouds look white in color while others appear gray, black or other colors. How come?
The color of a cloud depends primarily on the thickness of the cloud says Brent McRoberts of Texas A&M University.
"As sunlight passes through a cloud, tiny water droplets that make up the cloud scatter all colors of the light in the same manner, producing a white color (the presence of all colors = white-BBL). As the cloud gets thicker, less light passes through to the base of the cloud and it appears darker (the absence of all color = black-BBL).
Where you are when looking at a cloud can also affect what color it will appear to you. If you are standing underneath the base of a tall cloud it appears gray because little light can penetrate the cloud. If you stand farther away from the same cloud and view it from the side, it will appear white because light is passing through the cloud before it reaches your eye."
To be continued....
Photo by author of the Fourth of July parade in Fredericksburg, Texas, 2016.
