Wednesday, April 04, 2012

albedo 0.39

I first read about the word albedo when i purchased a CD by Vangelis with the title Albedo 0.39. Albedo is defined as the reflective power of a surface, often a planet or celestial body, that does not shine by its own light. It is usually measured on a scale from 0 (or having no reflective power) to 1.  The higher the albedo is, the more reflective power its surface has.

I find it interesting that the earth we live in has a higher albedo than that of the moon. The earth has an average albedo of 0.39 while the moon has an average albedo of 0.12. This means that the earth is brighter than the moon since it reflects more of the sun's rays.

If you've been awed by the sight of a full moon on a cloudless night, imagine how awesome it must be to stand on the moon and see the earth beam!

Earthrise. a view of the earth from the moon.


But if we are able to imagine this, the Bible says that we cannot imagine what God has prepared to those whom He loves.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived that God has prepared for those who love Him." -1 Corinthians 2:9