What type of athmosphere would a planet with red and pink trees have

In summary, on a planet with red and pink plants and vegetation, the atmosphere would not change due to the plant color. However, if the planet had a purple sky and was 112 million miles from a blue sun, the atmosphere would create yellow transparent water instead of green or blue.
  • #1
tyquniaum
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If a planet had red and pink plants and vegitation what kind of athmosphere would it have.If it had a purple sky and it was 112 million miles from a blue sun what kind of athmosphere would create yellow transparent water instead of green or blue.
 
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  • #2
Hi tyquniaum! :smile:

Plants using chlorophyll have to be green (I think).

But there are other ways of getting energy, even on Earth.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_algae" …
The red algae (or Rhodophyta, pronounced /roʊˈdɒfɨtə, ˌroʊdəˈfaɪtə/, from Greek: ῥόδον (rhodon) = rose + φυτόν (phyton) = plant, thus red plant) are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae,[2] and also one of the largest, with about 5,000–6,000 species [3] of mostly multicellular, marine algae, including many notable seaweeds.

So even an Earth-like planet can have red and pink plants and vegetation. :smile:

And I think the colour of the sea is mostly caused by the way water absorbs different colours (and by what's in the water), and so has almost nothing to do with the atmosphere.
 
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  • #3
Here's a link to a SciAm article about this:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/s...&photo_id=436FD971-E7F2-99DF-31034CC513EF8380

Hypothetically, the red and pink plants would still create oxygen, so the atmosphere would not change due to the plant color.
Water doesn't have a color. The Earth's seas reflect the sky's blue color, so your purple sky should create a purple reflection.
 
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  • #4
Arch2008 said:
The Earth's seas reflect the sky's blue color,
False on two counts.

1] Technically, water is very faintly blue. (However this is not a strongly contributing factor to the observed colour of our seas.)

2] Large volumes of water preferentially absorb red wavelengths of light. (This obvious once you realize that the red colours are absorbed more the deeper you go. If it were an atmo thing, it wouldn't be so.)


http://www.dartmouth.edu/~etrnsfer/water.htm
 
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  • #6
Arch2008 said:
Or not:
http://www.answers.com/topic/why-is-the-sea-blue
"Eminent authority can be found to support almost any explanation."
:)

I am dubious about the veracity of answers of answers.com. Nonetheless, it actually corroborates my claim. Sea colour is not a reflection of atmo colour. I listed two other sources of the colour. I didn't mean to suggest they were the only ones.

I do grant that the colour of the atmo would surely influence the perception of the colour of the sea, true. (A red atmo over the (blue) sea would not look red or blue, it would look black.)
 
  • #7
I found it ironic that in your link, the deep blue lake reflects the white mountains...and the sky.
 
  • #8
Arch2008 said:
I found it ironic that in your link, the deep blue lake reflects the white mountains...and the sky.
So I guess then, in my orange bathroom, the colour of the water in my bathtub is orange?
And I guess the colour of the mirror in my bedroom is yellow, since that's the colour of the walls it reflects?

i.e.: Reflection is a whole different animal.
 
  • #9
I assumed the question was meant the other way around.
chlorophyll absorbs green because it's the peak of the sun's output in the visible, if it had been on a planet where blue and green light is absorbed it would have evolved to absorb red/pink.
 
  • #10
mgb_phys said:
I assumed the question was meant the other way around.
chlorophyll absorbs green because it's the peak of the sun's output in the visible, if it had been on a planet where blue and green light is absorbed it would have evolved to absorb red/pink.

Actually, chlorophyll reflects green and absorbs red and violet; that's why leaves appear green. There are a lot of guesses as to why, like http://www.livescience.com/environment/070410_purple_earth.html, but I don't know what the current scientific consensus is.
 
  • #11
Wouldn't the color of the plants have to do with the wavelength of light from the star?
 
  • #13
tyquniaum said:
If a planet had red and pink plants and vegitation what kind of athmosphere would it have.If it had a purple sky and it was 112 million miles from a blue sun what kind of athmosphere would create yellow transparent water instead of green or blue.

I'm not sure what the atmosphere on the planet would be like, but I'm sure that the local residents would be unnecessarily hairy and their dialect would tend to be filled with entertainingly nonsensical rhyming words.

Oh yeah, and they like to eat green eggs and ham.
 

Related to What type of athmosphere would a planet with red and pink trees have

1. What is the significance of a planet having red and pink trees?

The color of a planet's trees can provide insight into the composition of its atmosphere. The presence of red and pink trees suggests the presence of certain chemicals or compounds that give off these colors.

2. Is it possible for a planet to have red and pink trees?

Yes, it is possible for a planet to have red and pink trees. The color of trees is determined by the pigments they contain, which can vary depending on the environment and the species of tree. Therefore, it is possible for a planet to have trees with unique colors.

3. What type of atmosphere would be needed for trees to have red and pink colors?

The presence of red and pink trees suggests that the planet has a high concentration of certain gases in its atmosphere. For example, a high concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen sulfide can give trees a pink color, while high levels of iron oxide can result in red trees.

4. Are there any other factors that could contribute to the color of trees on a planet?

Aside from the composition of the atmosphere, the color of trees on a planet could also be influenced by the type of star it orbits, the amount of sunlight it receives, and the geological processes that occur on the planet's surface. These factors can also impact the availability of certain nutrients that trees need to produce pigments.

5. How could the color of trees on a planet impact its habitability for humans?

The color of trees on a planet may not directly impact its habitability for humans. However, it can provide valuable information about the planet's environment and atmosphere, which can give us clues about whether or not it could support life. For example, a planet with red and pink trees may have an atmosphere that is too toxic for human survival.

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