The Sky Is Blue - Lessons from GE 202
Posted By:
Efren ES Ricalde @ 6:39 PM
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On a clear day, the sky is blue.
Every afternoon, it was customary that we would report the weather as we observed the sky from the window of our Grade V Section 1 classroom of the the Rafael Palma Elementary School, located at the corner of Vito Cruz and Zobel Roxas.
In 1965, we have a clear view of the western sky from the vantage point of our room at the second floor. So, we had reports on the type of clouds, direction of wind, temperature and breezy or humid. For the whole school year June to April, we were able to report cirrus and towering cumulus clouds during summer, dark skies with threatening nimbo-cumulus clouds during early June and July and totally dark skies during the storm season months of August to September. And of course, the overcast skies of December and cool weather of the Christmas Season that extended well up to Valentines day.
But we never explained why the sky was blue on a cloudless day. It was just blue, that's it. Almost three decades later, an answer arrived when I went back to school for graduate study.
At our MS Remote Sensing class in July 1994 , GE 202 - Introduction to Remote Sensing, conducted by Professor Ping Lopez of the Department of Geodetic Engineering at UP Diliman, he explained just as why on a clear day the sky is blue. From there on I liked the subject because it was so close to of one of my favorite activities - Photography. Only it discussed the science of light, reflection, absorption and dispersion among other subject matters. Obviously there was no composition.
The sky is blue due to Rayleigh Scattering. This occurs for atmospheric particles that are 0.1 times smaller than the radiation wavelength. Mathematically, scattering is inversely proportional to the wavelength raised to the 4th power. So, the sky is BLUE because the blue wavelength are scattered more than the longer wavelength of red.
I got that correct in my exam! The blue book showed it all.
 Labels: blue book, GE 202, MS Remote Sensing, Ping Lopez, Rafael Palma, UP Diliman, Vito Cruz
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- "MaSci to GSI" is a compendium of experiences from childhood to present. M2G shares my insights and knowledge on education, hard work, integrity, honesty, creativity, transparency, and aspiration of a Filipino.
M2G maps my journeys and adventures as a boy, student, dreamer and entrepreneur.
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 - Name: Efren ES Ricalde
- Location: Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines
Efren, President/CEO of GSI, is an experienced public speaker and an avid tennis player, photographer, a beginner classical guitarist. He was the former Chairman of Philippine Geomatics Association (PhilGeo) and is an active member of other IT associations. He has a diploma in Strategic Business Economics from the University of Asia and the Pacific, units in MS Remote Sensing in UP Diliman, BS Geodetic Engineering at UP Diliman and an alumni of Manila Science High School.
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