eli5 Why do colors fade on things left in the sun?
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Pigments are designed to absorb all of the light except the color you want.
UV light is VERY high energy.
When (certain) UV light is absorbed, it tends to break down whatever absorbed it. Pigments. Plastics. DNA. You name it.
So, as the pigments are bombarded with UV radiation over time, the pigments break down and stop absorbing the frequencies of light you don’t want to see. The more of the spectrum it reflects, the more “faded” it appears as it starts to reflect more than just the color you want reflected!
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