solar constant

The rate at which energy from the sun is received just outside the earth’s atmosphere on a surface normal to the incident radiation and at the earth’s mean distance from the sun; it is approximately 1367 watts per square meter.

Related terms:

• solar climate
• solar-radiation observation
• equilibrium solar tide
• solar air mass
• solar wind
• dissipation constant
• solar-terrestrial phenomena
• solar evaporation
• constant-height surface
• solar absorption index