Sun's energy

[Segilla]

It has always irritated me that the energy arriving after a journey of 80 million miles from the sun, is impeded by a comparatively insignificant layer of cloud. Obviously some of the energy gets through, otherwise we'd not have warm.cloudy days in Summer.

But what happens to the energy which fails to reach me, the warmth I crave?

[sammd]

It gets bounced back into space (not only by dust particles, etc. in the Earth's atmosphere but also by objects and particles it meets on it's way to the Earth) and then gradually reduces into nothingness the further it travels...

[bernardo]

The cloud is not "comparatively insignificant". There is far more stuff and gunge and gunk and bilge in one small cloud than there is in 93 millions of empty space.

[mibn2cweus]

The Earth's atmosphere provides some benefits. Among these it acts as a blanket absorbing and retaining the Sun�s warming. Without this more heat would be reflected away and during the evening time the temperature would plummet.

In addition the atmosphere acts as a filter for harmful ultraviolet from the Sun (as long as the ozone layer holds up). Cosmic rays from space are very energetic and harmful but these are destroyed in the atmosphere before they reach the Earth�s surface.

[nucleardream]

Yes, I agree...a day with a cover of clouds tends to be warmer than one without (for the "trapping-in-heat" effect).