The scattering of sunlight by a combination of air molecules, dust particles, and water droplets creates some beautiful phenomena readily recognizable as white clouds, blue skies, and red sunsets.

At 250 miles up, there is still some air. But it does not behave as a normal gas. Its scattered molecules act more like satellites of the earth, moving on orbits in the earth’s gravitational field.

They tuned methane molecules to specific quantum states, scattered them off a gold (Au) surface, and measured their states after the collision. The results, published in Science, revealed clear ...

They tuned methane molecules to specific quantum states, scattered them off a gold (Au) surface, and measured their states after the collision. The results, published in Science, revealed clear ...

The experiments we have made have confirmed this anticipation, and shown that in every case in which light is scattered by the molecules in dust-free liquids or gases, the diffuse radiation of the ...