albedo


albedo

Fraction of light reflected by a body or surface, commonly used in astronomy to describe the reflective properties of planets, natural satellites, and asteroids. “Normal” albedo (the relative brightness of a surface when illuminated and observed from directly above) is often used to determine the surface compositions of satellites and asteroids. The albedo, diameter, and distance of such objects together determine their brightness.

This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
For the full entry on albedo, visit Britannica.com.

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