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Taken on 20 October 1968 from Apollo 7. Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon.
Total solar irradiance (TSI) is a measure of the solar power over all wavelengths per unit area incident on the Earth's upper atmosphere. It is measured perpendicular to the incoming sunlight. [3] The solar constant is a conventional measure of mean TSI at a distance of one astronomical unit (AU).
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.
Solar radiation (or sunlight) is the energy Earth receives from the Sun. Earth also emits radiation back into space, but at longer wavelengths that humans cannot see. Part of the incoming and emitted radiation is absorbed or reflected by the atmosphere.
Solar observation is the scientific endeavor of studying the Sun and its behavior and relation to the Earth and the remainder of the Solar System. Deliberate solar observation began thousands of years ago. That initial era of direct observation gave way to telescopes in the 1600s followed by satellites in the twentieth century.
An atmospheric window is a region of the electromagnetic spectrum that can pass through the atmosphere of Earth. The optical, infrared and radio windows comprise the three main atmospheric windows. [2] The windows provide direct channels for Earth's surface to receive electromagnetic energy from the Sun, and for thermal radiation from the ...
Outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) is the longwave radiation emitted to space from the top of Earth's atmosphere. [1]: 2241 It may also be referred to as emitted terrestrial radiation. Outgoing longwave radiation plays an important role in planetary cooling. Longwave radiation generally spans wavelengths ranging from 3–100 micrometres (μm).
Albedo (/ ælˈbiːdoʊ / al-BEE-doh; from Latin albedo 'whiteness') is the fraction of sunlight that is diffusely reflected by a body. It is measured on a scale from 0 (corresponding to a black body that absorbs all incident radiation) to 1 (corresponding to a body that reflects all incident radiation).