The Sun has 6840000000000000000000000000 lumens. The Earth gets hit with 133200 lumens per square meter from the Sun since most light goes to outer space.
What is a lumen
Lumen (Unit of Luminous Flux): In the context of lighting and photometry, a lumen (lm) is the SI unit of luminous flux. It’s a measure of the total quantity of visible light emitted by a source per unit of time. For instance, when you buy a light bulb, its luminous output is often labeled in lumens. A bulb with a higher lumen value emits more light and is typically brighter than a bulb with a lower lumen value.
How many lumens does the sun generate?
Studies reveal that this quantity can be identified as solar constant and the value is estimated to be 1366.1 watts every square meter.
In simple terms, this represents how bright is the sun with reference to the distance from the earth’s orbit. However, these calculations are for the entire electromagnetic energy spectrum of the sun. In order to describe lumens, we are mainly concerned about the visible spectrum only. There, it is important to adjust the calculations for the light to which the human eye is truly sensitive.
Sun is known to have a black body temperature of 5778K. In this case, the visible light of 93 lumens is generated for every watt this star puts out. Therefore, for each square meter of the earth’s orbit, the sun produces 127,000 lumens which is very bright.
Ouch. This is the main reason why our eyes hurt when we try to stare at the sun.
It is important to mention that the sun is at a great distance from earth. Therefore, not all the bright light released from the sun reaches the surface of the earth. Reports reveal that only 16.24 quintillion lumens of light can reach the surface of the earth.
In actuality, you may never think of buying some artificial lights with such a huge brightness level as they can pose huge harm to your vision. It is better to make a detailed analysis of the lumen rating of the headlamps or flashlights while making investments so that you can choose something that fits your requirements in the best possible manner.
Power
The Sun is an enormous source of energy that powers our solar system. It produces energy through nuclear fusion, the process of combining lighter elements (hydrogen) into heavier ones (helium) while releasing a vast amount of energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light, ultraviolet, and infrared.
The Sun’s total power output, also known as its luminosity, is about 3.8 x 10^26 watts (joules per second). This energy is emitted in all directions and travels through space, eventually reaching the Earth and other celestial bodies in our solar system.
Compare to light bulb
Let’s consider a common 60-watt incandescent light bulb as an example. This light bulb uses 60 watts of electrical power to produce light and heat. In comparison, the Sun’s total power output, as mentioned earlier, is about 3.8 x 10^26 watts.
To put this in perspective, you would need approximately 6.3 x 10^24 (6,300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) 60-watt light bulbs to produce the same amount of energy as the Sun. This number is incredibly vast and highlights the extraordinary energy output of the Sun.
