Color Puzzles

The remarkable nature of color vision leads to some interesting and puzzling phenomena.

The petals of a red rose are much brighter than its leaves by day, but the leaves are brighter at twilight!
After your eyes have adapted, you might see objects at night. But they appear to have no color.
You notice a dim star in your peripheral vision, but when you look directly at it, it disappears!
When gaurding agains a stealthy approach, the person on patrol is advised to watch with peripheral vision.
After a long time of dark adaptation, you can see large objects, but not fine detail.
If you are examining a detailed object with reds, greens and intense blue details, the blue will be less distinct.
Ship captains and airline pilots can see outside better at night if their instrument panels are red.
White light and a spectral color produce a color. But that perceived color can be made in many different ways.
Two light sources appear equally white. Yet a colored object may be distinctly different in color in their light.
Why is a candle flame yellow?
Why is the sky blue?
Why is the sunset red?
Index

Vision concepts

Color vision concepts
 
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