Structure of Sun

•Explain the solar radiation outside the earth’s surface with suitable diagram.[Extra terrestrial radiation]
Ans:

Fig. Spectral distribution of solar radiation intensity

•Spectral distribution of solar radiation intensity at the outer limit of the atmosphere.
•Table shows solar radiation in various portions of the spectrum.
•The area under the entire curve is the solar radiation.
•We see that the visible part of the solar energy spectrum carries about half of its total energy.
•The sun's emission spectra indicate that the sun is a black body radiator at a temperature of 5762 K.
•The intensity is maximum in the green portion or the visible spectrum that is at 0.48μm.
•Thekaekara (1977) has presented tables and charts of the sun's extra terrestrial spectra irradiance from 0.12 to 100μm, the range
in which all the sun's radiant energy is contained for all practical purposes.
•The energy contained in the ultraviolet region (0.40 μm) and in the visible region (0.40 μm <λ< 0.70 μm) are respectively about
8.73% and 38.15% of the total energy released by the sun and the remaining 53.12% is contained in the infra-red region (λ> 0.70
μm).
•However, due to the fact that the earth revolves round the sun not in a circular orbit but follows an elliptic path with the sun as
one of the focii, there is a variation in the extraterrestrial radiation.
Explain the solar radiation at the earth’s surface with suitable diagram. [Terrestrial radiation].

• From the point of view of utilization of solar energy we are more interested in the energy received at the earth's surface than in
the extra-terrestrial energy.
• Solar radiation received at the surface of the earth is entirely different due to the various reasons.
• That portion of the incident solar radiation which comes directly from the apparent solar disc, without reflection from objects, is
called direct or beam radiation.
• These radiations are received from the sun without change of direction.
• Diffuse radiation is that solar radiation received from the sun after its direction has been changed by reflection and scattering by
the atmosphere.
• Diffuse radiation is defined the solar radiation scattered by the aerosols and dust molecules.
• It does not have a unique direction.
• Total solar radiation or global solar radiation is all solar radiation incident on the surface, including scattered, reflected and direct.
• Total does not include radiation that has been absorbed by matter and then re-emitted, because most of these radiations is at
longer wavelengths 3μ m.
• Diffuse solar radiation is the total solar radiation minus direct radiation or beam radiation.
• The extra terrestrial solar radiation is entirely direct or beam radiation.
• Clouds have by far the greatest effect on the variation of solar radiation.
• A cloud between the observer and the sun blocks the direct radiation; clouds elsewhere in the sky increase the diffuse radiation.
• Different types of clouds can have different effects on the total solar radiation depending on their location and the location of the
sun.
• The intensity of the diffuse radiation seen by an observer on a clear day is not isotropic, but varies as a function of latitude, time of
the year, time of the day, atmospheric content, and other factors.
Fig. Direct, diffuse and total solar radiation.