The Mishnah on this page states that the earliest time one can recite the morning prayers is when you can distinguish the color blue from white. The word for blue here is t'chelet which is a specific color dye the making of which was lost. A single thread of t'chelet is supposed to be in the tzitzit - the fringes of the tallit. But because the specific color was lost, the rabbis ordained that it should be white like the other threads. Today you can buy t'chelet - but I have always remained suspicious: the color of these threads sold is a dark blue, easily distinguished from white even in very low light! T'chelet must have been a very light blue. Blue is not blue is not blue, it's all about shades. I knew my lighting design past would come in handy one day!
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