Not an illusion, no. The sun does impart some warmth (or a lot of warmth in some cases), Even when it’s bitter cold out, being in direct sunlight will be a bit warmer.
Does seeing daylight create an illusion of being a little more warm?
Submitted 2 days ago by dullbananas@lemmy.ca to nostupidquestions@lemmy.world
Comments
FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 2 days ago
deranger@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
OP is asking about seeing light, not being directly hit by it. A psychological effect.
FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 2 days ago
And I’m saying “probably not”. If you step out into direct sunlight, you feel warmer because you’re absorbing heat from said sunlight.
You don’t generally feel warmer because you’re in a well lit room. (Though you do feel warmer if the colors in that room are warmer reds and oranges compared to cooler colors like blues and greens.)
If there’s enough light on you to feel warmer, it’s likely because the lights are warming you up (like stage lighting for news anchors.) rather than an illusion or placebo or whatever you want to call it.
chelatna@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
Light actually warms you. The colors you see are the ones being absorbed while the other ones are just absorbed and turned to heat. Especially with black clothing you will feel warmer.
frenchfryenjoyer@lemmings.world 2 days ago
I remember reading that on two equally warm days, the day where it’s sunny will be perceived as being 1-2 C warmer compared to the overcast day, even though the temperatures are the same. I cannot remember where I read this it was over ten years ago
antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 day ago
And when it’s sunny on the snow it’s about 4-5 C warmer.
Sixtyforce@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
Acknowledged OP edit aside…
I can’t say I’ve experienced that illusion myself. I do wonder if there’s something to your question that has to do with Circadian Rhythm or waking up more when you see sunlight.
thermal_shock@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Definitely does to me. If I stay up all night, around 7 or 8 am I get super hot, like my body is pissed. Without fail, morning brings massive body head increase without sleep.
Sixtyforce@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
Username checks out. That’s interesting, I don’t doubt these experiences happen. In fact I thought you and OP would be the more common experience.
Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
When it’s been a long cold night, getting colder by the hour, and finally you see the sky start to lighten and especially when that first real ray of sunlight tips over the horizon, it may not have actually begun to warm you but the hope does make you feel a little warmer. You know it’s at least not going to continue getting colder, and in most cases it will actually be warming up for several hours ahead. Maybe that hope makes your heart beat a little faster, that would help warm you up too.
MotoAsh@lemmy.world 2 days ago
The sun emits around 1.4KW of energy per square meter. At the Earth’s surface. At ocean altitude. Sunlight is warm, because it’s a shitload of energy.