The Sun's light and its apparent color

The Sun emits a broad spectrum of visible light that we perceive together as white; its spectrum peaks in the yellow-green region. In Earth’s atmosphere, shorter wavelengths scatter more strongly, so direct sunlight can look somewhat yellower, especially when the Sun is low on the horizon. Perception, clouds and aerosols also affect the hue, so the explanation is not a single fixed color. The illustration is AI-generated.