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The sky looks blue because blue sunlight is scattered all over the atmosphere. Doesn't the same take place in the other direction? From Earth to the sky? So the atmosphere would look blue in outer space, seen from a spaceship?

How would we see a second Earth passing by at a clear day in a blue sky? Would we just see a normal colored Earth?

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  • $\begingroup$ @GiorgioP Almost the same but not exactly. It asks why we can see the Earth. The question here is why it doesnt look blue at all. You could see the Earth through the blue. $\endgroup$
    – user307209
    Commented Jul 17, 2021 at 12:00

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Sorry for my poor english. French is may native language.

Maybe this link can help :

https://sciencing.com/earth-appear-blue-outer-space-12111369.html

I did not know the rules concerning internet links and so I complete my answer: It is explained that the blue color observed from space is mainly due to the Rayleigh scattering by the atmosphere and to the blue color scattered by the water covering the surface.

And I can't resist quoting the French poet Paul Eluard: "The earth is blue like an orange" ....

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  • $\begingroup$ I would have given +1 for the quote alone. But I cant yet. $\endgroup$
    – user307209
    Commented Jul 17, 2021 at 12:02
  • $\begingroup$ I think the question is rather if bue Rayleigh-scattered light (making the sky blue when observed from the ground) also making the atmosphere blue when observed from space. The cited article says "...blue light is scattered and radiated, creating the blue sky you see every day. That blue light is not as visible from space,... ". The question is why? $\endgroup$
    – Charles Tucker 3
    Commented Jul 17, 2021 at 12:24
  • $\begingroup$ When we look at the sky from the earth, we hardly see anything but the scattered light. Whereas from space, reflected light must also be taken into account? $\endgroup$
    – Vincent Fraticelli
    Commented Jul 17, 2021 at 12:32
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    $\begingroup$ Link only answers are very strongly discouraged as they can become useless through "link rot". Please flesh out the answer with enough of a summary of the article to make the answer standalone. $\endgroup$
    – StephenG - Help Ukraine
    Commented Jul 17, 2021 at 12:58
  • $\begingroup$ But why doesnt the atmosphere scatter light that is coming from earth? So the atmosphere would be blue? Behind the blue we could see the earth. If another eart passes by at day how would we see that earth in the sky? $\endgroup$
    – user307209
    Commented Jul 17, 2021 at 13:02
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There is nothing above the atmosphere other than the black of space, so you only see the sunlight scattered by the atmosphere. If you look down from space, you have the earth's surface reflecting radiation as well, so you don't notice the radiation scattered by the atmosphere that much anymore (although it is still there as well). If you look up at the sky when the moon is out during the day, you can see that the sky is not just blue either.

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