Energy is emitted as radiation in different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The peak of the electromagnetic radiation from the sun at the top of Earth's atmosphere is in the visible region. A large amount of the sun's energy is in the infrared region, and a smaller amount in the ultraviolet. Hover over the green circles on the graph to learn more. Is all of this energy absorbed by the Earth?
Light, heat, and microwaves are all examples of electromagnetic radiation. These types of radiation have different wavelengths, which result in seemingly unique types of energy. Both the sun and the Earth are blackbody radiators that emit electromagnetic radiation. However, the sun emits most of its energy in a different region of the electromagnetic spectrum than the Earth emits.