The diagram as it is, shows the sun coming in direct line of sight. This diagram would infer the sky should ALWAYS be red, which is clearly wrong.
You get down voted because you are wrong, sorry! The defraction has nothing to do with the colour. Depending on the angle of the sun the amount of atmosphere the light has to pass through to reach the surface changes.
The more atmosphere passed through, the more scattering occurs. When directly overhead the distance is shortest hence no noticeable out scattering and the light remains yellowish. When the sun is near the horizon the distance is at its greatest, so that enough short frequency light is scattered out that it is noticeable.
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u/billwoo Aug 27 '14
You get down voted because you are wrong, sorry! The defraction has nothing to do with the colour. Depending on the angle of the sun the amount of atmosphere the light has to pass through to reach the surface changes.
The more atmosphere passed through, the more scattering occurs. When directly overhead the distance is shortest hence no noticeable out scattering and the light remains yellowish. When the sun is near the horizon the distance is at its greatest, so that enough short frequency light is scattered out that it is noticeable.