What is the maximum temperature that the Sun could heat an object on the earth?
Answer As an object exposed to the sun rises in temperature it increases its own radiation heat. In addition it will be cooled by being in contact with the surrounding air. The radiant heat emitted is a function of the fourth power of its absolute temperature. These effects are modified by the nature of the surface of the material. There is thus dozens of maximum temperatures. As a guide however a black surface in bright sunlight on a windless day can get up to around the boiling point temperatures of water.
