Sailing Glossary - Term Solar radiation

The total electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun. About 99.9 percent of its energy output falls within the wavelength interval from 0.15 microns to 4.0 microns, with peak intensity near 0.47 microns. About one-half of the total energy in the solar beam falls in the visible spectrum from 0.4 to 0.7 microns, and most of the other half falls in the near infrared, a small additional portion falling in the ultraviolet.