Monday, August 3, 2026
Science

Scientists estimate sunlight in 18th and 19th century Tokyo using historical diaries

The amount of sunlight, or solar radiation, that a location receives makes a big impact on weather conditions, crop success, rainfall and overall climate trends. Today, instruments called pyrheliometers are used to carefully calculate how much sunlight occurs at a particular location, but these inst...

Scientists estimate sunlight in 18th and 19th century Tokyo using historical diaries
Image: Phys.org
The amount of sunlight, or solar radiation, that a location receives makes a big impact on weather conditions, crop success, rainfall and overall climate trends. Today, instruments called pyrheliometers are used to carefully calculate how much sunlight occurs at a particular location, but these instruments weren't available to quantify sunlight until 1838, and automated pyrheliometers weren't invented until the early 20th century.

Originally published at Phys.org

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