If a lot of stars are colored and we also can see some planets with the naked eye, why do we only see them as white?
In: Physics
Im our eyes there are different types of cells that react to light. There are cone cells which allow you to see color, but are less sensitive to light. And there are rod cells, which are way more sensitive, but can’t preceive color. If the light is not bright enough, only your rod cells trigger and things appear black and white or grey-ish. That is also the reason why, as the saying goes, all cats are grey in the dark.
Mars in particular is obviously reddish to the naked eye. If you’re in the US, it’s likely visible right now.
As for stars, they’re emitting light at a wide range of frequencies because they’re extremely hot, but hotter stars are more bluish, and cooler stars are more reddish. Think of it more like comparing a soft white lightbulb to a daylight tinted light bulb. They’re different colors, but it might be difficult to tell if they’re not right next to each other.
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