Physiologist Jan Evangelista Purkyně noticed that colors appear differently depending on the amount of light present. This phenomenon, known as the Purkinje effect, explains why reds appear darker in low light while blues and greens become more vibrant. A total solar eclipse provides an opportunity to observe this shift. The eyes switch from using cone cells in bright light to relying on rod cells in low light, resulting in a change in color perception.
Over two centuries ago, physiologist Jan Evangelista Purkyně noticed that red flowers looked bright carmine during sunny days but appeared to change to a deep muted hue come nighttime. The phenomenon, now known as the Purkinje effect, explains why colors look different depending on how much light is present.
In low light, bright reds appear darker, faded and sometimes almost black, while blues and greens tend to become more vibrant — and a total solar eclipse provides an ideal opportunity to observe this shift. Usually, the Purkinje effect unfolds slowly as day gives way to night. The eyes, which use two types of light-sensitive receptors, begin to switch from using cone cells that give the brain information on what color is seen in bright light to relying on rod cells, which take over in low light and typically only pick up blue-green wavelengths well, said Will Snyder, manager of the Saint Louis Science Center’s James S. McDonnell Planetarium in Missour
Purkinje Effect Colors Light Perception Solar Eclipse
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