Colors of the Planets

Colors of the Planets
Colors of the Planets We know so little about planets orbiting other stars that even simple measurements of colors can tell us what type of world they are. In this figure from Timothy A. Livengood's proposal, ratios of colors (indicated by their wavelengths) sort the planets into distinct groups using color information. The Earth, with its water and life, is distinct from the other planets in the solar system.