…with zero (or so thin as to be completely insignificant) atmosphere: What would the sky look like, in the daytime?
Just…black, with a bright sun? What effect would the sun have on the stars around it (i.e. would they be more difficult to see because of its light, or would it be just one’s eyes/attention that made it hard)? Would the surface of the planet be, well, kinda dark? Or would it look as light anyway (because there is the same amount of light, just not refracted)? Would shadows be darker, because the main source of light would really only be coming from one direction–no ambient sky-light?
Questions, questions…
2 responses so far ↓
Caroline Yoachim // May 27, 2009 at 5:06 am |
Images from the moon landing might be a good reference for this (the moon has a teensy bit of atmosphere, but not much).
gordsellar // October 23, 2009 at 9:00 am |
Sort of good reference. (Ages late, but Launch Pad info is kicking in here.) You have to remember the photos from the moon landing are photos, with photogtraphic effects. For example, film doesn’t pick up the starlight, and I remember uncertainty about how visible stars would be from the surface of a planetoid like that in daytime. Apparently what astronauts remember is inconsistent between accounts.
What the surface looks like is dependent on the nature of the material of the surface: if it’s dust, it has a different kind of reflectivity than if it were, say, bare solid rock. (There’s a neat halo effect surrounding shadows. Can’t recall what it’s called.)
As far as I know the sun would be an alright light source but shadows would be very dark and deep, even just at one’s feet. If I recall right, and of course unless there’s something to reflect the light back into the shadow, like a rocky outcropping…
If you have more questions (or any at all remaining at this point) let me know, I can try find out or ask folks who would know…