eli5 why the greenhouse effect dosent work the other way around

Question

For example, what is the reason why greenhouse gases reflect heat from the Earth back to Earth, but not heat from the Sun back to the space?

From what I understand, it has something to do with radiation and emitted waves, but what exactly makes the difference?

In: Planetary Science

Answer 1

The energy that travels from the sun to the Earth comes mostly in the form of UV and visible light. That radiation is absorbed by the ground which is then heated up. As it warms, it begins to emit infrared radiation which CO2 and other trace molecules tend to absorb. The end result is that the atmosphere warms up.