Sunlight

Sunlight is the light that comes from the Sun. Plants use sunlight to make food. Without sunlight, there could be no life on Earth.

Plants need sunlight for the process of photosynthesis. During photosynthesis the plants use the energy of the sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, to create glucose (sugar). The glucose can later be used by the plant for energy or animals eat the plant and the glucose in it.

Plants need sunlight to grow green. Without enough sunlight but with enough water, the plant grows very tall very quickly, but looks yellow and dehydrated, although when touched, the leaves are very moist.

Solar radiation can be both good and bad for a person's health. When in the light, the human body makes its own Vitamin D. Being in sunlight without sunscreen too much can cause sunburn. Angle of incidence of the sunlight makes difference in seasons on Earth as well as in the length of day and night.

Intensity of sunlight on planets of Solar System

Sunlight in the Antelope Canyon, Arizona.

Different bodies of the Solar System receive sunlight of different intensities. The table compares the amount of light received by each planet on the Solar System follows:

Planet	Perihelion - Aphelion distance (AU)	Solar radiation maximum and minimum (W/m²)	Forcing temperature variation for albedo = 1 (°C)
Mercury	0.3075 – 0.4667	14,446 – 6,272	94.6
Venus	0.7184 – 0.7282	2,647 – 2,576	2.2
Earth	0.9833 – 1.017	1,413 – 1,321	4.7
Mars	1.382 – 1.666	715 – 492	21.1
Jupiter	4.950 – 5.458	55.8 – 45.9	6.0
Saturn	9.048 – 10.12	16.7 – 13.4	5.0
Uranus	18.38 – 20.08	4.04 – 3.39	2.8
Neptune	29.77 – 30.44	1.54 – 1.47	0.6

Use of solar energy

Solar energy is used in many different ways by people all over the world both in its traditional way for heating, cooking or drying and to make electricity where other power supplies are absent, such as in remote places on Earth or in the space. Sometimes, it is cheaper to make electricity from sunlight than from coal or oil.