Thanks to the BBC's amazing film, here is "Our Blue Planet". All episodes.
“Our blue planet” is a common nickname for Earth, a reference to the vast amount of water covering its surface, which makes it appear predominantly blue from space. The term is also notably associated with the BBC nature documentary series The Blue Planet and its related projects.
Earth: The Blue Planet
Approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, primarily the oceans. This abundance of liquid water makes Earth unique in our solar system and is crucial for sustaining life. The blue appearance is a result of several factors:
Atmospheric Scattering: The Earth’s atmosphere scatters shorter blue wavelengths of light more easily than longer wavelengths (a phenomenon known as Rayleigh scattering), which makes the sky appear blue and adds to the overall blue appearance of the planet from a distance.
Reflection of Sunlight: Bodies of water reflect sunlight, contributing significantly to the blue color seen from space.
Light Absorption: Water molecules absorb longer wavelengths of light (like red and orange) more readily than shorter wavelengths (blue), so the light that is reflected back is predominantly blue.
