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Help - Sun's Brightness
Help - Albedos of Common Surfaces

Earth’s Temperature,
minus Atmosphere
Effects

Brightness

% of Sun

Change the "percent Sun" to choose brightness compared to our Sun, with values ranging from 60% to 110%.

  • Dimmest Sun (60%)
  • Faint Young Sun (70%)
  • Dimmer Sun (80%)
  • Dim Sun (90%)
  • Normal Sun (100%)
  • Extra Bright Sun (110%)
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Albedo of Common Surfaces

Pick a surface...

What would your planet's albedo be if the planet was entirely covered with forests? or oceans? or ice sheets? Use the "Pick a surface..." menu to cover your planet with common surface types.

Estimates of the precise albedo for a given surface vary substantially in the published literature. Most sources list a range of values, such as 80-95% for fresh snow. Different sources sometimes list different values for a given surface type. For reference, here are some examples:

  • Fresh snow or ice = 60-90% or 80-95%
  • Old, melting snow = 40-70%
  • Sea ice = 25-60%
  • Clouds = 40-90%
  • Forest = 5-20% or 10-20%
  • Tropical forests = 13% or Woodland = 14%
  • Crops or grasslands = 10-25%
  • Grasslands = 18-25% or 20%
  • Grass = 25-30%
  • Soil = 5-30%
  
  • Water = 5-10% or 8-10% or 10-60%
  • Clouds = 40-90%
  • Desert sand = 30-50% or Sandy desert = 37%
  • Stony desert = 24%
  • Tundra = 15-35%
  • Asphalt = 5-10% or 4-12%
  • Concrete (dry) = 17-27% or 55%
  • Brick or stone = 20-40%
  • Dark roof = 8-18% or Light roof = 35-50%
  • Moon = 6-14% (some bright areas 17-30%)
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