Exploring the Solar Spectrum at Night: A Closer Look at Infrared Radiation

[ANarwhal]

Wikipedia showed me the solar spectrum during the day: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Solar_Spectrum.png

I imagine its very different at night, however is everything 0? Is there any residual black body infrared radiation?

 

[Integral]

Why would the solar spectrum change because you can't see the sun?

 

[ANarwhal]

I'll rephrase my question for you:

If I am standing on the ground when the sun is highest in the sky (that's an idiom btw), I would expect to get a spectrum similar to the yellow plot on that graph. If I stand in the same place when the night is at its darkest, what would the spectrum look like in this range?

 

[Integral]

How bright is the moon?

 

[ANarwhal]

You are suggesting there is no infrared radiation at night below the 2500 nm band?

 

[davenn]

the point is ... how do you expect to measure the spectrum of the sun when the sun isn't visible

Yes there is going to be some IR radiation around, ground radiation, manmade stuff, from the moon if visible and maybe a very small amount from the sky

Dave