When we turn our face towards the sun on a day with clear skies: Is the heat we feel on our skin actual heat radiation from the surface of the sun or do we just feel the warmth of the molecules in our atmosphere which have been “warmed” by radiation from the upper atmosphere?

Question

When we turn our face towards the sun on a day with clear skies: Is the heat we feel on our skin actual heat radiation from the surface of the sun or do we just feel the warmth of the molecules in our atmosphere which have been “warmed” by radiation from the upper atmosphere?

In: 1238

Answer 1

From a pasty white boy; I’ve been in a 140°F oven, and I’ve experienced 100°F+ outside temps. The oven, where only hot air is warming, just feels warm, whereas sunlight, even on cooler days, seems to almost sting. Also, if you sit in front of a window on a sunny day, you’ll feel warmer than the ambient air. Based on that, I would assume a fair bit of the heat you feel from the sun would be the sun’s radiation directly warming your skin.