Answer · confidence: thin
Does the same smoke look whiter facing the sun than facing away?
Research question: Does the same smoke layer look whiter when viewed toward the sun than when viewed away from it?
The verified facts describe Mie theory, which explains scattering by any spherical particle regardless of its size 1. They also define Rayleigh scattering as scattering by particles much smaller than the wavelength of light 2, and note that multiple scattering is treated with radiative transfer techniques 3. None of these facts addresses how brightness changes with viewing direction relative to the sun, so the question is only partly addressed at most. The listed facts carry no dates, so their recency relative to October 2026 cannot be judged 123.
Checked 2026-10-18. Only documented and supported facts are used.
Dig deeper on this questionSources
[1] supported
Mie theory explains the scattering of any spherical particle regardless of its size parameter.
"La dispersión de cualquier partícula esférica con un parámetro de tamaño arbitrario se explica por la teoría de Mie ."Dispersión de la luz por partículas
[2] supported
Rayleigh scattering is defined as scattering by particles much smaller than the wavelength of light, in the small size-parameter regime.
"La dispersión de Rayleigh se puede definir como la dispersión en un régimen de parámetros de tamaño pequeño X<<1 ."Dispersión de la luz por partículas
[3] supported
Multiple scattering effects from particles are treated with radiative transfer techniques.
"Los efectos de dispersión múltiple de la dispersión de la luz por las partículas se tratan mediante técnicas de transferencia radiativa"Dispersión de la luz por partículas