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The existence of nearly all life on Earth is fueled by light from the Sun. Most autotrophs, such as plants, use the energy of sunlight, combined with carbon dioxide and water, to produce simple sugars—a process known as photosynthesis. These sugars are then used as building-blocks and in other synthetic pathways that allow the organism to grow.
Sunlight is the incandescence of the "white hot" surface of the Sun. Electromagnetic radiation from the sun has a peak wavelength of about 550 nm, [1] and can be harvested to generate heat or electricity. Thermal radiation can be concentrated on a tiny spot via reflecting mirrors, which concentrating solar power takes advantage of.
The amount of heat energy received at any location on the globe is a direct effect of Sun angle on climate, as the angle at which sunlight strikes Earth varies by location, time of day, and season due to Earth's orbit around the Sun and Earth's rotation around its tilted axis.
The density of the corona generally decreases with distance from the Sun, which causes radio waves to refract toward the radial direction. [ 44 ] [ 45 ] When solar radio emission enters Earth's ionosphere, refraction may also severely distort the source's apparent location depending on the viewing angle and ionospheric conditions. [ 46 ]
In the case of Earth, the Sun emits shortwave radiation that passes through greenhouse gases to heat the Earth's surface. In response, the Earth's surface emits longwave radiation that is mostly absorbed by greenhouse gases. The absorption of longwave radiation prevents it from reaching space, reducing the rate at which the Earth can cool off.
The concentrated heat is then used as a heat source for a conventional power plant. A wide range of concentrating technologies exists; the most developed are the parabolic trough, the solar tower collectors, the concentrating linear Fresnel reflector, and the Stirling dish. Various techniques are used to track the Sun and focus light.
On Earth, it triggers geomagnetic storms that can disrupt satellites and it causes the dazzling auroras - the northern and southern lights - at high latitudes. But precisely how the sun generates ...
Earth's energy budget (or Earth's energy balance) is the balance between the energy that Earth receives from the Sun and the energy the Earth loses back into outer space. Smaller energy sources, such as Earth's internal heat, are taken into consideration, but make a tiny contribution compared to solar energy.