The sun’s rays strike Earth’s surface most directly at the equator. This focuses the rays on a small area….

When the sun’s rays strike Earth’s surface near the equator, the incoming solar radiation is more direct (nearly perpendicular or closer to a 90˚ angle). At higher latitudes, the angle of solar radiation is smaller, causing energy to be spread over a larger area of the surface and cooler temperatures.

Latitudinal Variation. Only locations lying along one line of latitude on the surface of the Earth can receive sunlight at a 90 degree angle on a given day. All other places receive sunlight at lesser intensities. In general, the sun’s rays are the most intense at the equator and the least intense at the poles.

1366 2 W/m2
At the top of the atmosphere, energy is received with a flux, or power density of 1366 2 W/m2, a value known as the solar constant.

the equator
Earth receives different amounts of solar energy at different latitudes, with the most at the equator and the least at the poles.

• A lot of the solar energy that reaches Earth hits the equator.
• Much less solar energy gets to the poles.
• The difference in the amount of solar energy drives atmospheric circulation.

In general, the farther from the equator an area is, the colder and snowier it will be. This is because higher-latitude regions receive less light and energy from the Sun than low-latitude, tropical areas.

The intensity of insolation is greatest on the equator. This is because the angle. of the sun is higher, at close to 90.

The largest planet in our solar system by far is Jupiter, which beats out all the other planets in both mass and volume. Jupiter’s mass is more than 300 times that of Earth, and its diameter, at 140,000 km, is about 11 times Earth’s diameter.

approximately 1380 watts per square meter
Above the earth’s atmosphere, solar radiation has an intensity of approximately 1380 watts per square meter (W/m2). This value is known as the Solar Constant. At our latitude, the value at the surface is approximately 1000 W/m2 on a clear day at solar noon in the summer months.

Mojave Desert
The 377 MW Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, located in the Mojave Desert, is the largest CSP facility in the world, and uses three power towers. Ivanpah generated only 0.652 TWh (63%) of its energy from solar means, and the other 0.388 TWh (37%) was generated by burning natural gas.

The equator of the earth receives most of the sun’s rays. This is because it lies directly over the sun.

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The average annual solar radiation arriving at the top of the Earth’s atmosphere (1361 W/m 2) represents the power per unit area of solar irradiance across the spherical surface surrounding the sun with radius equal to the distance to the Earth (1 AU ).

The progressive decrease in the angle of solar illumination with increasing latitude reduces the average solar irradiance by an additional one-half. The solar radiation received at Earth’s surface varies by time and latitude. This graph illustrates the relationship between latitude, time, and solar energy during the equinoxes.

Irradiation at the top of the atmosphere. The distribution of solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere is determined by Earth’s sphericity and orbital parameters. This applies to any unidirectional beam incident to a rotating sphere. Insolation is essential for numerical weather prediction and understanding seasons and climate change.

The earth-atmosphere energy balance is achieved as the energy received from the Sun balances the energy lost by the Earth back into space. In this way, the Earth maintains a stable average temperature and therefore a stable climate. Using 100 units of energy from the sun as a baseline the energy balance is as follows: