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Last Updated: 2001-Dec-11

What color is the sun?

You might think this is a stupid question. Or at least, if you're being nice, an obvious one. However, I can think of at least three possible answers:

The Scientific Answer (using the MK Spectral Classification System):
Sol is a G2V
That is: a yellow, very high temperature, main sequence (luminosity) star.
The Western Civ Answer: It's "yellow"
"Duh..." This is what most readers of this site will first think.
(Now, before you get all cocky thinking that because the MK Spectral Classification System says that our star is yellow means that "it is," please remember that we in the West have thought the sun is yellow for millenia, and the MK System only came into being in 1943 (revised 1953). Which means that it's by design that the System says it's yellow -- because a couple of Westerners were creating the System!)
The Answer from several other cultures: It's "red"
This is what a Russian or Japanese might say. It begs the question: "why?" It also might make you think, "wait a minute, Russia is part of the West." However, they didn't think so until the 19th century, and many still don't. More on this some other time/place.

My main goal here is to present a small lesson in cultural relativism. I included the Scientific Answer as an erstwhile objective starting point. (Of course, who came up with the Scientific Method, etc.? The West... (well, actually, you could argue that Arab culture did, but well, that's another big ball of wax.))

Even though one could try to start from the Scientific Answer, and talk about aerosol particle pollution or other interference with the sun's light on its way to the ground, here on Earth, and say, "Hey, it's yellow," other cultures, for millenia, have otherwise deduced and/or chosen to say that it is red. Red.

For details (from me), you will unfortunately have to wait until I can come up with more information and references...

Thanks -- Dan

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