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The color of snow



One of my favorite illusions involves the apparent color of snow
lying on the ground. One day next winter, after snow has fallen
and covered the ground, and when the sky is still leaden with
thick cloud, thick enough so that you can't tell where the Sun
is, go outside and look carefully at the snow and the sky. There
will be a quiz afterward!

Quiz:

1. What color is the snow?

2. What color is the sky?

3. Which is brighter, the snow or the sky?

4. Explain your observation.

This is a remarkable illusion. You can make it even more dramatic
if you can view the sky with a horizon of snow, say over the top
of a hill. It goes away for me if I view it upside down by looking
between my legs, the same technique that makes the Moon illusion
go away.

Leigh