ABSTRACT
The Sun is the source of radiant energy for the Earth, the Moon, the ISS, and all of the members of our Solar System. The amount of radiant energy impinging on any object is determined by two factors: the object's distance from the Sun—the amount of energy reaching an object is proportional to the inverse distance squared between the object and the Sun, and the area and orientation of the object subjected to the Sun's rays. The primary components of the atmosphere, nitrogen and oxygen are transparent to the visible radiation from the Sun and to infrared radiation as well and therefore, from the standpoint of contributing to the warming of the Earth, they are ineffective. A typical misconception is that radiation that is absorbed by an atom is reradiated, as if the atom swallowed a mouthful of radiant energy only to spit that same mouthful out a short time later.
