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Astronomy/Times effect on luminosity

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Expert: - 7/12/2008


Question
The distance between the earth and the sun remains the same and the amount of light the sun emits stays the same.  But the rate of time on earth slows to 1/2 the current rate. The question is how much more light will the earth receive per unit of original time.

Answer
Hello,

The insolation (rate of solar radiation received on Earth in Watts per square meter per second) will be the same since the rate is not dependent on the rotation rate of Earth (which I presume you mean by the "rate of time"). You have then the same surface area (in sq. meters) exposed to the same (assumed constant) solar radiative flux (in watts) and the same time unit (seconds) or per second.

So it will still be about ~ 1360 W/m^2 per second received.

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Philip Stahl

Expertise

I have forty years of experience in Astronomy, specifically solar and space physics. My specialties include the physics of solar flares, sunspots, including their effects on Earth and statistics as applied to astronomical investigations.

Experience

Astronomy: more than forty years experience starting with construction of my own simple telescopes. Worked at university observatory in college, doing astrographic measurements. M.Phil. degree in Physics/Solar Physics and more than ten years as researcher.

Organizations
American Astronomical Society (Solar Physics and Dynamical Astronomy divisions), American Mathematical Society, American Geophysical Union

Publications
Solar Physics (journal), The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, The Proceedings of the Meudon Solar Flare Workshop (1986), The Proceedings of the Caribbean Physics Conference (1985). Books: 'Selected Analyses in Solar Flare Plasma Dynamics', 'Physics Notes for Advanced Level'.

Education/Credentials
B.A. Astronomy, M. Phil. Physics

Awards and Honors
American Astronomical Society Studentship Award (1984), Barbados Government Award for Solar Research

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