What reflects sunlight back into space?

Clouds, especially, low, thick clouds, reflect incoming sunlight (shortwave radiation) back to space. High clouds reflect less solar radiation and trap longwave, infrared radiation (heat) re-radiated from Earth’s surface.

That’s because Aerosols—and clouds seeded by them—reflect about a quarter of the Sun’s energy back to space. Aerosols play an important role in Earth’s climate. Most aerosols are brighter than land or ocean, and cool the Earth by reflecting sunlight back to space.

Energy released from the Sun is emitted as shortwave light and ultraviolet energy. When it reaches the Earth, some is reflected back to space By clouds, some is absorbed by the atmosphere, and some is absorbed at the Earth’s surface.

Water vapor and dust account for 16 percent of the energy absorbed. The other 3 percent is absorbed by clouds. Of the 30 percent that is reflected back into space, 6 percent is reflected by air and dust. Clouds reflect 20 percent, and the remaining 4 percent is reflected by the surface.

Dust particles interact with both sunlight and infrared radiation which are components of the Earth’s energy balance. For example, Dust particles reflect sunlight back to space, and re-emit infrared radiation back towards the Earth’s surface.

Yes!! Assuming there’s truly no other air particles or significant forces acting on you, like a strong gravitational pull the opposite direction or something. I’m gonna go through a rough look at how the math would work because I enjoy stuff like that, if you don’t care just skip ahead!

Radiation is the transfer of heat energy through space by Electromagnetic radiation. Most of the electromagnetic radiation that comes to the earth from the sun is invisible.

Thus, it is critical that planets have a means to lose some energy to outer space. Since Earth is surrounded by the vacuum of outer space, it cannot lose energy through conduction or convection. Instead, The only way the Earth loses energy to space is by electromagnetic radiation.

Because a cloud usually has a higher albedo than the surface beneath it, The cloud reflects more shortwave radiation back to space than the surface would in the absence of the cloud, thus leaving less solar energy available to heat the surface and atmosphere.

Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere repeatedly absorb and re-radiate Infrared radiation (heat). High clouds trap longwave, infrared radiation (heat) re-radiated from Earth’s surface. However, low clouds reflect incoming sunlight (shortwave radiation) back to space.

Neptune Is the outermost planet, and it generates 2.6 times more energy than it receives form the sun. Because it is so far away from the sun, however, and the sun’s heat so weak, this energy output is smaller than the amount of heat that Saturn generates.

Examples of Objects That Reflect Light

• Mirrors.
• Eyes.
• Water Surface.
• White Paper.
• Moonlight.
• Kitchen Foil.
• Jewellery and Accessories.
• Coloured Objects.

Brilliant beams of light extending from clouds are often seen during the early morning or early evening when the sun is shining. This phenomenon is known as Crepuscular rays, as it occurs during crepuscular hours — those around dusk and dawn.

Interstellar dust Scatters blue light more efficiently than red light, thereby making distant stars appear redder and giving clouds of dust near stars a bluish hue. Here, a red ray of light from a star comes straight through to the observer, whereas a blue ray is shown scattering.

When astronomers started to use infrared cameras, they discovered that the annoying cosmic dust is actually very interesting and important to lots of astronomical processes. The dust Converts the stolen starlight it absorbs into light at longer wavelengths.

Since white is the combination of all light, that means that white things reflect all light and absorb none. Black objects do the opposite. We see them as black because they absorb all colors of light and reflect none.

As a direct effect, the aerosols Scatter sunlight directly back into space. As an indirect effect, aerosols in the lower atmosphere can modify the size of cloud particles, changing how the clouds reflect and absorb sunlight, thereby affecting the Earth’s energy budget.

Aerosol particles also shape the climate as they circulate in the atmosphere. Some of these particles can reflect sunlight, helping to cool the atmosphere. Other aerosol particles absorb heat from sunlight. This causes the atmosphere to warm.

Aerosols can influence the Earth’s climate in two ways. When the sky is clear (devoid of clouds), aerosols can reflect incoming sunlight back to outer space – the direct effect. This blocks part of the energy that would have reached the surface, thus having a cool effect on the climate.

You should never throw an aerosol can onto a fire or leave it in direct sunlight – even if it is empty. This is because The pressure will build so up so much that the can will burst (and explode if there is a naked flame nearby).