We can see Earth from space because the Earth emits electromagnetic radiation in the wave spectrum that is visible to human eyes.

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks about why we can see Earth from space and provides two answer choices, True or False.
Option 1: True. The statement asserts that we can see Earth from space because Earth emits electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum that is detectable by human eyes. In reality, while Earth does emit electromagnetic radiation across a broad spectrum, including infrared due to its warmth, the portion of its emission in the visible band is extremely weak compared to reflected sunlight. We predominantly see Earth from space because it reflects sunlight and appears illuminated, not because its own visible-wavelength emission is strong enough to be perceived by the human eye from space. Therefore this statement misattributes visibility to intrinsic visible emission rather than to reflected light, making it inaccurate.
Option 2: False. This choice claims that the reason we can see Earth from space is not due to it emitting visible-wavelength radiation, but rather due to other factors such as reflected sunlight and its overall brightness across relevant wavelengths. This aligns with the physical understanding that Earth is visible from space mainly because of reflection of sunlight and the contrast against space, and because its thermal emission peaks in the infrared region, not in the visible. This explanation correctly identifies the misconception in Option 1 and correctly describes the primary reason for Earth's visibility from space.
Option 1 (True) is thus incorrect because it incorrectly emphasizes intrinsic visible emission as the cause of visibility from space, whereas not enough visible emission exists for this to be the main factor. Option 2 (False) is correct in reflecting that the planet’s visibility stems from reflected light and general brightness, with visible-emission being minor in comparison to infrared thermal radiation.

CLMTGR5001_002_2025_3 - Dynamics of Climate Variability and Chan PRACTICE QUIZ: Week 2 Lecture 1

We can see Earth from space because the Earth emits electromagnetic radiation in the wave spectrum that is visible to human eyes.

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