“Nothin’ but blue skies,” but why?

December 2023

Q: True or false and why: On a sunny day, the blue sky overhead results from the same principle of molecular absorption that exoplanet researchers rely on to determine the atmospheric composition of planets too dim to be imaged even by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Send a response of up to 250 words that someone in any field could understand to aeropuzzler@aerospaceamerica.org by noon Eastern Dec. 11 for a chance to have it published in the next issue.

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FROM THE NOVEMBER ISSUE: Coaxial conundrum

We asked you whether it’s true or false that coaxial helicopter blades are separated by a good distance only so they don’t contact each other.

Check back on Dec. 1 to see the winning response!