Solar radiation research encompasses the quantitative characterization, modeling, and variability analysis of electromagnetic energy emitted by the Sun and received at or near Earth, spanning ultraviolet to near‑infrared and sometimes extending to longer wavelengths. This research area investigates solar spectral and broadband irradiance, its spatial and temporal variability driven by solar activity and Earth–Sun geometry, and its modification by atmospheric constituents, clouds, and surface properties. It underpins radiative transfer modeling, climate and weather prediction, solar energy resource assessment, remote sensing retrievals, and studies of radiative forcing, enabling improved parameterizations in climate models and optimized design and siting of solar energy systems.
The European Space Agency's upcoming Henon mission will be the first ever CubeSat to independently venture into deep space, communicate with Earth and maneuver to its final destination without relying on a bigger spacecraft. ...
Space Exploration
Oct 29, 2025
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Once considered a fringe idea, the prospect of offsetting global warming by releasing massive quantities of sunlight-reflecting particles into Earth's atmosphere is now a matter of serious scientific consideration. Hundreds ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 21, 2025
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106
The Earth became darker from 2001 to 2024, meaning it reflects less sunlight, a research team reports in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Earth Sciences
Sep 30, 2025
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Half of the sun's radiant energy falls outside of the visible spectrum. On a cold day, this extra infrared light provides additional warmth to residential and commercial buildings. On a warm day, it leads to unwanted heating ...
Nanophysics
Aug 18, 2025
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127
Technicians have successfully installed two sunshields onto NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope's inner segment. Along with the observatory's Solar Array Sun Shield and Deployable Aperture Cover, the panels (together ...
Space Exploration
Jul 31, 2025
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121
Beginning in the 1960s, satellite instruments have measured Earth's reflected broadband shortwave radiation and emitted longwave radiation. These measurements have been used to estimate Earth's "energy balance," defined as ...
Planetary Sciences
Jul 2, 2025
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25
Experiments lead to a greater understanding, deeper insights, and sometimes they even bear fruit. That was certainly the case last summer at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where ...
Biotechnology
Jun 18, 2025
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94
When our planet and the incoming sunlight align just right, stunning phenomena such as rainbows and halos can occur. More often, sunlight—or shortwave radiation—interacts with the Earth in subtle but curious ways.
Planetary Sciences
May 7, 2025
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Earth's atmosphere is much more sensitive to ripples of radiation from the sun than scientists previously believed, new research by Queen's University Belfast has found.
Planetary Sciences
Apr 28, 2025
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99
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse swept across North America, from the western shores of Mexico, through the United States, and into northeastern Canada. For the eclipse, NASA helped fund numerous research projects ...
Planetary Sciences
Dec 10, 2024
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