Light scattering occurs when light beams are changed, and go in a different direction.

They can change from white light, or can be split into coloured light

Diffraction occurs when light waves change direction when they go through a different material or a hole. The light is scattered from one direction, creating a rainbow of light.

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Refraction occurs light waves are scattered through one material to another material - eg air and water. They change direction within the different material.

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During the day the light from the sun is filtered through the atmosphere. It scatters in many directions in the upper atmosphere creating what we see as a blue sky, as blue has the shortest wave length.

The concentration of blue will determine how blue the sky is!

At sunset and sunrise the light from the sun is scattered through the thicker atmosphere and red is more evident, as it has the longest wavelengths. This is not diffraction as the light is scattered in many directions. 

The sky is often spectacular at sunrise and sunset.

Research more about light scattering will show that diffraction is one form of scattering - it is in one direction.

light will change the look of an object in different circumstances.

The red of the sunset is seen as the long wave lengths are scattered.

Leonie has captured the red light scattering at sunrise

Light is also scattered when we see a rainbow in the sky. This is not diffraction! See more about it on our refraction page by clicking on the image above.