Most of us underestimate the design of planet Earth. We look up and see a blue sky and take it for granted, but having a blue sky is unique to our planet and tells us much about its design.
We must first understand that a change in electric charge produces light. The amount varies depending on the amount of change. Small changes produce light that is low in energy and may not be visible to human eyes. Radio waves are light we cannot see. Infrared waves are light humans can’t see, but numerous animals can. For example, a rattlesnake can see infrared light coming from a mouse even though human eyes would say there is no light. The mouse gives off infrared due to its biological processes, and the snake can see it in the dark. We call infrared light radiant heat.
A large change in an electric charge produces light that is too energetic for our eyes to see. Xrays, ultraviolet, and gamma rays are the words we use to describe these high-energy forms of light. They can expose a photographic plate and penetrate most organic tissue, possibly causing damage. The light our eyes are designed to see has lower energy than Xrays and higher than radio waves. This beautiful design of our eyes means we cannot see through most solid materials like wood, metal, or human flesh.
Light from the Sun arrives on Earth with all of these energies present. The Earth’s atmosphere is dense enough to prevent the high-energy forms of light from reaching the surface. That means we are not fried by the X-rays, gamma rays, or even excessive ultraviolet light coming from the Sun. The highest visible light that our eyes can see is blue. As blue light enters our atmosphere, it is scattered and refracted away by atmospheric materials. We look up and see a blue sky.
Green is the next highest energy reaching the surface. Plants are protected from damage because their chlorophyll reflects green light. When tree leaves lose their chlorophyll in autumn, the green disappears, replaced by other colors hidden within the leaf structure. Then, the leaves fall off to prepare the tree for winter. Annual plants shrivel and die while perennials retain their root structures to bring color back in the spring.
So we look up and see a blue sky. On the Moon, we would see a black sky. On Jupiter, it would be red. The atmosphere on all the other planets gives a color other than blue. Astronauts face huge dangers when leaving Earth’s atmosphere with its well-engineered light-handling design. To live on the Moon or Mars, human engineers must build elaborate designs to imitate what God created to allow us to live on Earth. That is the greatest challenge to space travel and a great demonstration of God’s wisdom.
— John N. Clayton © 2024
Why Is the Sky Blue, Why Are the Trees Green? is a children’s book available from the Does God Exist? ministry. Contact jncdge@aol.com or purchase the complete set of 16 children’s books at powervine.store.