Solar Constant

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Solar Constant

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The rate at which solar radiation is received outside the earth's atmosphere on a surface normal to the incident radiation and at the earth's mean distance from the sun. </dd>
Measurements of solar radiation at the earth's surface by the Smithsonian Institution for several decades give a best value for the solar constant of 1.934 calories per square centimeter per minute. Measurements from rockets of the intensity of the ultraviolet end of the spectrum have corrected this value to 2.00 calories per square centimeter per minute with a probable error of +/- 2 percent. </dd>

References

This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use