Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Standard Values for the Solar Constant and its Spectral Components

Nature Physical Science volume 229, pages 6–9 (1971)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 22 February 1971

Abstract

Recent high-altitude aircraft, balloon and spacecraft measurements of the extraterrestrial solar irradiances indicate that the earlier integral wavelength value was too high and that the spectral data derived from ground-based techniques were uncertain. Standard values are proposed here with a summary of the supporting evidence.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Johnson, F. S., J. Meteorol., 11, 431 (1954).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Ann. Astrophys. Obsy. Smithson. Inst., 2-7 (1908–1954).

  3. Dunkelman, L., and Scolnik, R., J. Opt. Soc. Amer., 49, 356 (1959).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Nicolet, M., Ann. Astrophys., 14, 249 (1951).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Labs, D., and Neckel, H., Z. Astrophys., 69, 1 (1968).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Minnaert, M., in The Sun (University of Chicago Press, 1952); Aller, L. H., chap. 7-9 in Astrophysics (Ronald Press, New York, 1953).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  7. Thekaekara, M. P., Solar Energy, 12, 205 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Moon, P., J. Franklin Inst., 230, 583 (1940).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Stair, R., and Johnston, R., J. Res. Nat. Bur. Standards, 57, 205 (1956).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Allen, C. W., Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 84, 362 (1958).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Makarova, E. A., Soviet Astron. J.-A., 1, 531 (1957). 9, 525 (1965).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Stair, R., and Ellis, H. T., J. Appl. Meteorol., 7, 635 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Thekaekara, M. P., Kruger, R., and Duncan, C. H., Appl. Optics, 8, 1713 (1968). Thekaekara et al., Report X-322-68-304 (GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland, August 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Tousey, R., in Nuovo Cimento, Suppl., 6 (10: 1), 413 (1957).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Drummond, A. J., Proc. Inst. Environ. Sci. Amer. Soc. Testing Materials Symp. Solar Radiat., Los Angeles, 55 (1965).

  16. Thekaekara, M. P., Solar Energy, 9, 7 (1965). NASA SP-74 (NASA, Washington DC, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Gutnik, M., Handbook of Geophysics and Space Environments (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Drummond, A. J., and Hickey, J. R., Solar Energy, 12, 217 (1968). Drummond, A. J., Hickey, J. R., Scholes, W. J., and Laue, E. G., Nature, 218, 259 (1968). Laue, E. G., and Drummond, A. J., Science, 161, 888 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Drummond, A. J., Hickey, J. R., Scholes, W. J., and Laue, E. G., Proc. Seventeenth Intern. Astronaut. Fed. Cong., Madrid, 1966, 2, 227 (Gordon and Breach, New York, 1967); J. Spacecraft Rockets, 4, 1200 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Drummond, A. J., Hickey, J. R., Scholes, W. J., and Laue, E. G., Proc. Eighteenth Intern. Astronaut. Fed. Cong., Belgrade, 1967, 2, 407 (Pergamon Press, New York, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Drummond, A. J., Karoli, A. R., and Hickey, J. R., Report on the Evaluation of the NESC Blackbodies employed in the SIRS Inverse Atmospheric Temperature Sounding Experiments, ESSA US Department of Commerce Contract E-66-70N (Eppley Laboratory, Newport, March 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Murcray, D. G., Report AFCRL-69-0070 (University of Denver, Colorado, January 1969); Murcray, D. G., Kosters, J. J., and Gast, P. R., Report AFCRL-68-0452 (University of Denver, Colorado, August 1968).

  23. Kondratyev, K. Ya., and Nikolsky, G. A., Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. (in the press).

  24. Kondratyev, K. Ya., Nikolsky, G. A., Badinov, I. Ya., and Andreyev, S. D., Appl. Opt., 6, 197 (1967).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Plamondon, J. A., Jet Propulsion Laboratory Space Programs Summary, 37–59, 3, 162 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Condon, E. U., in Handbook of Physics (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1958).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Detwiler, C. R., Garrett, D. L., Purcell, J. D., and Tousey, R., Ann. Geophys., 17, 9 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Heath, D., J. Arnos. Sci., 26, 1157 (1969).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. Hickey, J. R., in Advances in Geophysics, 14 (Academic Press, New York, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Hinteregger, H. E., Ann. de Geophys. (in the press).

  31. Parkinson, W. H., and Reeves, E. M., Solar Physics (in the press).

  32. Shimabukuro, F. I., and Stacey, J. M., Astrophys. J., 152, 777 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

    M. P. THEKAEKARA

  2. Eppley Laboratory, Newport, Rhode Island

    A. J. DRUMMOND

Authors
  1. M. P. THEKAEKARA
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. J. DRUMMOND
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

THEKAEKARA, M., DRUMMOND, A. Standard Values for the Solar Constant and its Spectral Components. Nature Physical Science 229, 6–9 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/physci229006a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/physci229006a0

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing