Light blue

<h2 id="variations">Variations</h2>
<h3>Light blue (Literal interpretation)</h3>

<p>This shade is a literal light blue, or in other words, a simple combination of blue and white. It has the same hue as blue (240°) with less saturation in HSV or more lightness in HSL. The specific hex color #8080ff is also commonly used in <a href="/facts/3D_computer_graphics/zlWW6eaF">3D computer graphics</a> as the base color for <a href="/facts/Normal_mapping/7YmzxkPp">Normal mapping</a>, in which it typically represents the smooth areas of the surface.
</p>

<h3>Light blue (Crayola)</h3>

<p>Displayed at the right is the color that is called "light blue" in <a href="/facts/Crayola_crayons/FHEb5nYb">Crayola crayons</a>. It was only available in 1958. Contrary to its title, it is technically a shade of <a href="/facts/Cyan/AXtegEzm">cyan</a> due to its hue of 180°.
</p>

<h3>Light blue (RYB)</h3>

<p>Displayed at the right is the color that is called "light blue" in the <a href="/facts/RYB_color_model/oBohLmE9">RYB color model</a>. It is a mixture of blue and white.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a>
</p>

<h2 id="light-blue-in-human-culture">Light blue in human culture</h2>
<p><a href="/facts/Cartography/8YdDAAeX">Cartography</a>
</p>
<ul><li>In historical <a href="/facts/Atlas/0P16fANt">atlases</a> published in Germany, light blue is traditionally used as a color to represent Germany, as opposed to pink for England, purple for France, and light green for Russia.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a></li></ul>
<p><a href="/facts/Heraldry/cmkn0H85">Heraldry</a> and <a href="/facts/Flags/RbK3SDX4">flags</a>
</p>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Bleu_celeste/vXMNJAkw">Bleu celeste</a> (<i>sky blue</i>) is a non-standard <a href="/facts/Tincture_(heraldry)/lUQExqcq">tincture</a> in heraldry and vexillology.</li>
<li>The national flags of <a href="/facts/Flag_of_Argentina/hYTdN5qm">Argentina</a>, <a href="/facts/Flag_of_the_Bahamas/URq8QwzB">the Bahamas</a>, <a href="/facts/Flag_of_Botswana/xUP7h4zz">Botswana</a>, <a href="/facts/Flag_of_Fiji/RHuhCrw7">Fiji</a>, <a href="/facts/Flag_of_Guatemala/R0fk3CsX">Guatemala</a>, <a href="/facts/Flag_of_Honduras/5sUhpYdH">Honduras</a>, <a href="/facts/Flag_of_Kazakhstan/lEk2khXw">Kazakhstan</a>, <a href="/facts/Flag_of_the_Federated_States_of_Micronesia/MBdzkk52">Micronesia</a>, <a href="/facts/Flag_of_Palau/21FCTte0">Palau</a>, <a href="/facts/Flag_of_Somalia/TsUpIWQN">Somalia</a>, and <a href="/facts/Flag_of_Tuvalu/2RxG3hVe">Tuvalu</a> all have light blue as a dominant color.</li></ul>
<p><a href="/facts/Gender/LfjRHcJy">Gender</a>
</p>
<ul><li>In modern Western culture, <a href="/facts/Gendered_associations_of_pink_and_blue/zvjYzAu2">gender norms for colours</a> are that light blue is commonly used to represent boys as opposed to the color <a href="/facts/Pink/fHod9nJE">pink</a>, which is used to represent girls (but see the counterexamples at <a href="/facts/List_of_historical_sources_for_pink_and_blue_as_gender_signifiers/FmsFPP3p">List of historical sources for pink and blue as gender signifiers</a>).</li></ul>
<p><a href="/facts/Interior_design/xuPYsKB1">Interior design</a>
</p>
<ul><li>The color light blue is commonly regarded as calming and relaxing.  Because of this, it is sometimes used to paint <a href="/facts/Hospital/WaryeVJd">hospital</a> rooms.</li>
<li>Since the color light blue reminds many people of water, light blue is a popular color for painting bathrooms or for <a href="/facts/Porcelain/deuLm3sb">porcelain</a> bathroom fixtures.</li></ul>
<p> 
<a href="/facts/School_colors/IRuV3meo">School colors</a>
</p>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Cambridge_Blue_(color)/GQav4F81">Cambridge Blue</a> is a shade of light blue adopted by the <a href="/facts/University_of_Cambridge/0la7aX9o">University of Cambridge</a>, in contrast with the <a href="/facts/University_of_Oxford/ExVVQL6V">University of Oxford</a> which has adopted a dark shade of blue (<a href="/facts/Oxford_Blue_(color)/FUwgBfCK">Oxford Blue</a>).</li></ul>
<p><a href="/facts/Religion/cxntrD0R">Religion</a>
</p>
<ul><li>In <a href="/facts/Hinduism/oxV9YvQh">Hinduism</a>, <a href="/facts/Shiva/SaHL5XBS">Shiva</a>, the Destroyer, is depicted in light blue tones and is called <i>neela kantha</i>, or blue-throated, for having swallowed poison in an attempt to turn the tide of a battle between the gods and demons in the gods' favor.</li>
<li>In <a href="/facts/Christianity/nKyJHlqq">Christianity</a>, light blue represents the sin of <a href="/facts/Sloth_(deadly_sin)/dma65l2S">sloth</a>.</li></ul>
<p><a href="/facts/Sexuality/fjnqcFxP">Sexuality</a>
</p>
<ul><li>In <a href="/facts/Russian_language/ETXrTgHV">Russian</a>, light blue (голубой, <i><i>goluboy</i></i>) refers to <a href="/facts/Gay_men/cBIllcne">gay men</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a></li></ul>
<p>Other
</p>
<ul><li><i><i><a href="/facts/Azure_(color)/SRYwa2Er">Azzurro</a></i></i>, a light blue, is the national color of Italy (from the <a href="/facts/Livery/CH3doo4j">livery</a> color of the former reigning family, the <a href="/facts/House_of_Savoy/nMg58jKR">House of Savoy</a>).</li>
<li>King <a href="/facts/Louis_IX_of_France/NLX8QjpN">Louis IX of France</a>, better known as <a href="/facts/Louis_IX_of_France/NLX8QjpN">Saint Louis</a> (1214–1270), became the first king of France to regularly dress in blue.  This was copied by other nobles.  Paintings of the mythical <a href="/facts/King_Arthur/JDyRQ8gx">King Arthur</a> began to show him dressed in blue.  The coat of arms of the kings of France became an azure or light blue shield, sprinkled with golden <a href="/facts/Fleur-de-lis/3olU4IEg">fleur-de-lis</a> or lilies.  Blue had come from obscurity to become the royal color.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a></li>
<li>Light blue is often reported as the color of the <a href="/facts/Visible_light/jeofpMn4">visible light</a> coming off of a source when <a href="/facts/Ionizing_radiation/vw0d9GaT">ionizing radiation</a> is released during a <a href="/facts/Nuclear_chain_reaction/3l0lHBM4">nuclear chain reaction</a>. The signature "light blue glow" of <a href="/facts/Cherenkov_radiation/lSPJAC3U">Cherenkov radiation</a> seen in <a href="/facts/Nuclear_reactor/8xqjIbge">nuclear reactors</a> is a result of the constant particles and photons being ejected out of the reactor core into the water medium around it.</li>
<li>In <a href="/facts/Boxing/BrY1zmP4">boxing</a>, light blue is the official tone of a <a href="/facts/World_Boxing_Association/Xa3CyncK">World Boxing Association</a> referee's dress shirt.</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Maerz and Paul. A Dictionary of Color. New York: 1930 McGraw-Hill. Page 190. <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Michel Pastoureau, Bleu: Histoire d'une couleur, pg. 24 <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>S. Kugelmass and E. Donchin, "The Affective Value of Colors", Megamot, No. 3 (טבת תש"ך / ינואר 1960), pp. 271–281. <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>Vivian Cook, "Seeing Colours". <a href="/wiki/Vivian_Cook_(academic)" target="_blank">/wiki/Vivian_Cook_(academic)</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>"What Color Do Blue and White Make When Mixed". Color Meanings. Retrieved February 23, 2024. <a href="https://www.color-meanings.com/what-color-blue-white-make-mixed/" target="_blank">https://www.color-meanings.com/what-color-blue-white-make-mixed/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:6"><p>See the Grosshistoricher Weltatlas, 1965 edition (other German historical atlases use these same colors). <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:7"><p>Johnson, Ramon. "Gay in Russia". Gaylife. Archived from the original on April 30, 2009. Retrieved September 5, 2012. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090430072943/http://gaylife.about.com/od/world/a/russian.htm" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20090430072943/http://gaylife.about.com/od/world/a/russian.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:8"><p>Michel Pastoureau, Blue: Histoire d'une couleur, pg. 51–52. <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Light blue open-in-new

Light blue