Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
David Hambling

Does Antarctica really have the bluest sky in the world?

Esperanza Base, Hope Bay, Antarctica
Esperanza Base, Hope Bay, Antarctica. The area’s blue skies are attributed to a combination of high altitude and extremely low levels of humidity and pollution. Photograph: Geoff Renner/Getty Images/Collection Mix: Subjects RF

On holiday the sky may look a deeper shade of blue than even the clearest summer day at home. Some places, including Cape Town in South Africa and Briançon in France, pride themselves on the blueness of their skies. But is there really any difference?

The blue of the sky is the product of Rayleigh scattering, which affects light more at the blue end of the spectrum. The blue we see is just the blue component of scattered white sunlight.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.