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SOLUTIONS TO EXERCISE 15

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The approximate surface/cloudtop temperatures for these objects
give the thermal radiation peak from Wien's Law, expressed here in
units of nanometers and Kelvin:

 Lambda * Temperature = 2.9 * 10^6 nm K

For Mercury, T = 400 K  so Lambda = 2.9 * 10^6 / 400 =  7250 nm
For Venus,   T = 750 K      "       2.9 * 10^6 / 750 =  3870 nm
For Earth,   T = 290 K      "       2.9 * 10^6 / 290 = 10000 nm
For Mars,    T = 250 K      "       2.9 * 10^6 / 250 = 11600 nm
For Jupiter, T = 170 K      "       2.9 * 10^6 / 170 = 17100 nm
For Saturn,  T = 150 K      "       2.9 * 10^6 / 150 = 19300 nm
For Uranus,  T =  78 K      "       2.9 * 10^6 /  78 = 37200 nm
For Neptune, T =  69 K      "       2.9 * 10^6 /  69 = 42000 nm
For Pluto,   T =  40 K      "       2.9 * 10^6 /  40 = 72500 nm

For a comet, the temperature varies with distance from the Sun;
at about one AU, a comet is typically about 100 K, so 
   Lambda = 2.9 * 10^6 / 100 = 29000 nm

For an incandescent light bulb with a tungsten filament, the
typical temperature is about 2500 C, or about 2800 K.  so
   Lambda = 2.9 * 10^6 / 2800 = 1040 nm

None of these objects has a peak wavelength between 300 nm and
700 nm, the nominal range of visible light.  Only the light bulb
filament is even close.