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This integrated solar irradiance is called solar irradiation, solar radiation, solar exposure, solar insolation, or insolation. Irradiance may be measured in space or at the Earth's surface after atmospheric absorption and scattering. Irradiance in space is a function of distance from the Sun, the solar cycle, and cross-cycle changes. [2]
More specifically, it is a flux density measuring mean solar electromagnetic radiation (total solar irradiance) per unit area. It is measured on a surface perpendicular to the rays, one astronomical unit (au) from the Sun (roughly the distance from the Sun to the Earth). The solar constant includes radiation over the entire electromagnetic ...
A pyranometer (from Greek πῦρ (pyr) ' fire ' and ἄνω (ano) ' above, sky ') is a type of actinometer used for measuring solar irradiance on a planar surface and it is designed to measure the solar radiation flux density (W/m 2) from the hemisphere above within a wavelength range 0.3 μm to 3 μm.
Since 1978, solar irradiance has been directly measured by satellites with very good accuracy. [11]: 6 These measurements indicate that the Sun's total solar irradiance fluctuates by +-0.1% over the ~11 years of the solar cycle, but that its average value has been stable since the measurements started in 1978.
The two forms have different dimensions and units: spectral irradiance of a frequency spectrum is measured in watts per square metre per hertz (W⋅m −2 ⋅Hz −1), while spectral irradiance of a wavelength spectrum is measured in watts per square metre per metre (W⋅m −3), or more commonly watts per square metre per nanometre (W⋅m −2 ...
Solar irradiance spectrum above atmosphere and at surface. The overall intensity of solar radiation is like that of a black body radiator of the same size at about 5,800 K. [1] As it passes through the atmosphere, sunlight is attenuated by scattering and absorption; the more atmosphere through which it passes, the greater the attenuation.