How does the light emitted by the Sun compare to the light emitted by the Earth?

The light emitted by the Earth is predominantly at longer wavelengths than the light emitted by the Sun due to their respective temperatures. The Sun, with a surface temperature of about 5,500 degrees Celsius (around 5,800 K), radiates energy primarily in the visible spectrum and some ultraviolet light. This is consistent with a black body radiator at that temperature, which emits most of its energy in the visible wavelengths.

In contrast, the Earth, which has a much lower average temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius (around 288 K), emits energy primarily in the infrared region of the spectrum. According to Wien’s Law, which describes the relationship between temperature and the peak wavelength of emitted radiation, the Earth’s lower temperature leads to a peak in emission at longer wavelengths compared to the Sun.

This difference in emitted wavelengths is crucial for understanding energy balance and climate dynamics. The Earth absorbs solar radiation primarily in the visible range, warms up, and reradiates the energy at longer infrared wavelengths, which is an essential process in regulating the planet's temperature. Therefore, the assertion that the Earth emits light that is predominantly at longer wavelengths than the Sun is fundamentally accurate, as it reflects the principles of thermal radiation and the physics of black-body radiation.