What specific measurement quantifies the degree to which Venus’s surface reflects incident sunlight?
Answer
Albedo
The measure used to quantify how much light a surface reflects, rather than absorbs or transmits, is known as albedo. Venus possesses an extraordinarily high albedo, meaning it is extremely reflective. This characteristic is crucial to its perceived brightness, even though it generates no light of its own, unlike true stars which use nuclear fusion to create light. The high reflectivity of Venus, around 70 to 75 percent, is due entirely to its highly reflective cloud deck composed of sulfuric acid.
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