Lunar Reflection and Emission of Radiation

This table of information is adapted with permission from NASA's Planetary Fact Sheets and The Nine Planets.

                             Moon             Moon:Earth
                             ----             ----------
Bond albedo                  0.067                 0.174
Visual geometric albedo      0.12                  0.327
Visual magnitude V(1,0)     +0.21
Solar irradiance           128.2 W/ft2 (1380 W/m2) 1.000
Black-body temperature     494.1 R (274.5 K)       1.110

Bond albedo

The fraction of incident solar radiation reflected back into space without absorption; dimensionless; also called planetary albedo

Visual geometric albedo

The ratio of the body's brightness at a phase angle of zero to the brightness of a perfectly diffusing disk with the same position and apparent size; dimensionless

Visual magnitude V(1,0)

The visual magnitude of the body if it were one AU from the Earth at a phase angle of zero; dimensionless

Solar irradiance

Solar energy impinging on the body; watts per square meter. 1380 W/m² = 128.2 W/ft².

Black-body temperature

Equivalent black body temperature is the surface temperature the body would have if it were in radiative equilibrium and had no atmosphere, but the same albedo; in degrees Kelvin. (Kelvin is measured from absolute zero, in increments equal to degrees C. The English system equivalent is Rankine, R. Zero degrees K = -273.16 deg C, or -459.7 deg F. One increment C = 1.8 increments of F, so 274.5 K = 494.1 R = 34.4 deg F.)