Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: [Phys-L] solar constant



I thought I responded earlier, but it seem to have gotten lost.

The Wikipedia article on "insolation" has some good info (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insolation), including typical power at the top of the atmosphere and at ground level for different parts of the world.

Perhaps most surprising is that the location with the largest single day insolation (at the top of the atmosphere) is the South Pole! Although the sun never gets very high, 23.5 degrees = 40% max sunlight, and it shines 24 hr/day. (And, of course, the earth is closer to the sun for the southern hemisphere summer than for the northern hemisphere summer).

Tim Folkerts