From: "Geo" 

"John Cuccia"  wrote in message
news:fc9842tbl0v5n4arif5lp0coa8eato2lqb{at}4ax.com...

> No, the air keeps the ground/water from cooling.  You are implying
> that that air and water absorb and release heat at the same rate.  I
> don't think that is true.

The coldest winter nights are when we have clear skys so the heat is
radiated off into space. Coldest is measured by air temperature so
obviously the air is absorbing heat.

Lets look at it another way, if you are in outer space the sun's rays are
much more intense, our atmosphere protects us yes? if it's not absorbing
that energy then where is it going?

I mean yes you can find that some IR goes back into space thru the air, I'm
not claming otherwise else IR thermometers would not work but some of the
IR doesn't go thru and is absorbed by something between the ground and
space.

Geo.

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