2007-10-02 08:25:46 · 4 answers · asked by TicToc.... 7 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
yes and no.
yes it has been studied.
no, it does not add anything measurable.
I did such a study mumblety-mumble years ago.
Energy received from the Sun: 113,500 TW (TeraWatts)
Total from the Moon (includes tides): 3.7 TW
From the Moon (reflected light at Full Moon): 0.7 TW
Geological (e.g., radioactivity): 13.2 TW
From the total energy input (these numbers are corrected for albedo -- meaning: the portion reflected back to space is not included), Moonlight AT FULL MOON represents 0.00062%.
A few years ago, an article in an astronomy magazine (Sky&Tel or Astronomy?) suggested that it "raised" the temperature by a few hundredths of degrees F.
I'll wear a jacket.
2007-10-02 08:43:59 · answer #1 · answered by Raymond 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Hi. Even the stars add SOME heat but I am not aware of any scientific study. I'll look...
A quote from the web:
"The Earth does receive some heat from the Moon. Some of it comes from the inside of the Moon, and some comes from reflected heat from the Sun. The fuller the Moon appears, the brighter it appears, so there is a correlation between the amount of reflected light and heat and the phase of the Moon. However, the amount of sunlight and heat that is reflected by the Moon to the Earth is about half a million times less than the amount of sunlight and heat that we receive directly from the Sun, so the heating by moonlight is not important in the least."
2007-10-02 15:28:53 · answer #2 · answered by Cirric 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The average albedo of the Moon is only about .07, meaning it reflects an average (because of it's phases) of 7% of light. Because of the spheroid shape of the Moon, that light is reflected in many directions. Now the Moon is rather small, and about 245,000 miles away. Thus VERY LITTLE of that reflected solar radiation actually reaches Earth. I suppose that radiation would be absorbed to some degree, but it is such a tiny amount that any resultant longwave radiation (heat) would be extremely small (thousandths of a degree, if that much) There is no study that I know of with respect to this.
2007-10-02 15:39:54 · answer #3 · answered by cyswxman 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No the moon's reflective light doesnt add to the heat of the atmoshere because its only light no heat.
2007-10-02 15:30:00 · answer #4 · answered by John Londer 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋