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solar constant |
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solar constant, the average amount of radiant energy received by the earth's atmosphere from the sun; its value is about 2 calories per min incident on each square centimeter of the upper atmosphere. The actual value of the energy varies with several factors; the most important factor is the earth's distance from the sun, which changes because of the earth's elliptical orbit. For computing the value of the solar constant, the astronomical unit astronomical unit (AU), mean distance between the earth and sun; one AU is c.92,960,000 mi (149,604,970 km). The astronomical unit is the principal unit of measurement within the solar system, e.g., Mercury is just over 1-3 AU and Pluto is about 39 AU from the sun. ..... Click the link for more information. , or average earth-sun distance, is used. solar constant [′sō·lər ′kän·stənt] (meteorology) The rate at which energy from the sun is received just outside the earth's atmosphere on a surface normal to the incident radiation and at the earth's mean distance from the sun; it is approximately 1367 watts per square meter. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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At the time of his article, Eddy did not know whether the solar constant could change at all. The satellite's active-cavity radiometer irradiance monitor revealed that the solar constant -- the total energy radiated by the sun -- varies in phase with the amount of solar activity, and Gurman says coordinated observations by ground-based instruments and Solar Max's X-ray polychromator have confirmed that energy "evaporation," or explosion, from the sun's chromosphere plays a role in the development of solar flares. |
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