Albedo
January 4th, 2025
The night was bright. Unusually bright. There was no such brightness at night after dark for several months now. It was unusually bright even though thick clouds were overcasting and obscuring the sky. I hadn't seen those clouds in the sky since it was already dark, but I assumed they were there since it was snowing and snow had to come from somewhere. And even though it was snowing all the contours and shapes were much sharper, all the edges were more pronounced. The wet chill in the air was a lot more bearable and the sounds of the city were muted, almost not existing—all that because of the snow. The snowfall itself was pitiful. No more than a coating at most. It was enough to change the scenery for the first time this season. It was enough to cover the grey and brown ground and cover all the trash strewn around and broken and dirty sidewalks. It was enough to sweep away the prevalent darkness and drabness of previous months. It was enough to provide a false sense of order and — dare I say — beauty.
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All light needs something to be reflected off of. Our sensory receptors are not enough to bring understanding to what light is. If there is no reflection, then light is no more than a spark bouncing off someone’s eyes. If there is no reflection then light is no more than electromagnetic radiation. Only a reflective surface makes light visible.
