Daylight: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 03:50, 13 February 2025

Overview of daylight and its significance

Daylight[edit]

Daylight illuminating a natural landscape

Daylight is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime. It is a crucial element for life on Earth, influencing various biological and environmental processes. Daylight is essential for the photosynthesis process in plants, which in turn supports the food chain and ecosystems.

Sources of Daylight[edit]

Daylight primarily originates from the Sun, which emits light and heat. The Earth's atmosphere scatters sunlight, creating the blue sky and allowing daylight to reach the surface even when the Sun is not directly visible. This scattering is more pronounced during the early morning and late afternoon, leading to the phenomena of sunrise and sunset.

Importance of Daylight[edit]

Daylight plays a vital role in regulating the circadian rhythms of humans and other organisms. Exposure to natural light helps maintain the body's internal clock, influencing sleep patterns, hormone production, and overall health. Daylight is also important for vitamin D synthesis in humans, which is essential for bone health and immune function.

Daylight in Architecture[edit]

In architecture, daylighting refers to the practice of using natural light to illuminate indoor spaces. This approach can reduce the need for artificial lighting, leading to energy savings and improved occupant well-being. Architects often design buildings with large windows, skylights, and reflective surfaces to maximize the use of daylight.

Daylight Saving Time[edit]

Daylight saving time is a practice used in many countries to make better use of daylight during the longer days of summer. By setting the clocks forward by one hour, people can enjoy more daylight in the evening, which can lead to energy savings and increased outdoor activities.

Related pages[edit]

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-'''Daylight''' is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime. This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and (often) both of these reflected by the Earth and terrestrial objects, like landforms and buildings. Sunlight scattered or reflected by objects in outer space (that is, an [[astronomical object]]) is generally not considered daylight. Thus, daylight excludes [[twilight]] and [[dawn]], even though they are often considered as parts of the diurnal course of the Sun; [[night]] time is instead considered as the period in which daylight is not present.
+{{short description|Overview of daylight and its significance}}
-== Characteristics ==
+==Daylight==
+[[File:Daylight.png|thumb|right|Daylight illuminating a natural landscape]]
+Daylight is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime. It is a crucial element for life on Earth, influencing various biological and environmental processes. Daylight is essential for the [[photosynthesis]] process in plants, which in turn supports the [[food chain]] and [[ecosystem]]s.
-Daylight is present at a particular location, to some degree, whenever the Sun is above the horizon at that location. (This is true for slightly more than 50% of the Earth at any time. The rest is experiencing [[night]].) However, the outdoor illuminance can vary from 120,000 lux for direct sunlight at noon, which may cause eye pain, to less than 5 lux under extreme storm clouds at noon, or under twilight conditions. (Even at its most intense, moonlight measures only about 0.1 lux.)
+==Sources of Daylight==
+Daylight primarily originates from the [[Sun]], which emits light and heat. The Earth's atmosphere scatters sunlight, creating the blue sky and allowing daylight to reach the surface even when the Sun is not directly visible. This scattering is more pronounced during the early morning and late afternoon, leading to the phenomena of [[sunrise]] and [[sunset]].
-== Daylight and Health ==
+==Importance of Daylight==
+Daylight plays a vital role in regulating the [[circadian rhythm]]s of humans and other organisms. Exposure to natural light helps maintain the body's internal clock, influencing sleep patterns, hormone production, and overall health. Daylight is also important for [[vitamin D]] synthesis in humans, which is essential for bone health and immune function.
-Exposure to daylight is often linked to improved mood, increased productivity, and better health. Lack of daylight can lead to problems like [[Seasonal Affective Disorder]] (SAD), a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons. SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you're like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody.
+==Daylight in Architecture==
+In [[architecture]], daylighting refers to the practice of using natural light to illuminate indoor spaces. This approach can reduce the need for artificial lighting, leading to energy savings and improved occupant well-being. Architects often design buildings with large windows, skylights, and reflective surfaces to maximize the use of daylight.
-== Daylight in Architecture ==
+==Daylight Saving Time==
+[[Daylight saving time]] is a practice used in many countries to make better use of daylight during the longer days of summer. By setting the clocks forward by one hour, people can enjoy more daylight in the evening, which can lead to energy savings and increased outdoor activities.
-In [[architecture]], daylighting is the practice of placing windows, skylights, other openings, and reflective surfaces so that during the day natural light provides effective internal lighting. Particular attention is given to daylighting while designing a building when the aim is to maximize visual comfort or to reduce energy use. Energy savings can be achieved from the reduced use of artificial (electric) lighting or from passive solar heating.
-== See Also ==
+==Related pages==
 * [[Sunlight]]
-* [[Twilight]]
+* [[Photosynthesis]]
-* [[Dawn]]
+* [[Circadian rhythm]]
-* [[Seasonal Affective Disorder]]
+* [[Vitamin D]]
-* [[Architecture]]
+* [[Daylight saving time]]
 [[Category:Light]]
-[[Category:Time]]
+[[Category:Natural phenomena]]
-[[Category:Health]]
-[[Category:Architecture]]
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-{{dictionary-stub1}}