I'm creating an application which will simulate the light created by sun or moon on a 3d topographic map of Earth. Something like this:


Is there a word or definition for this light/light projection?

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    $\begingroup$ Can you provide a sentence that you'd use it in, as an example? That might help provide a better context. $\endgroup$
    – zephyr
    Mar 8 '19 at 15:36
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    $\begingroup$ We need some more details. Do you want spectral irradiance or just a mean value in the visible range? Are you interested in irradiance magnitude, angle of incidence on the Earth's surface, etc.? There are very powerful applications called Ray Tracers for this but it's not clear how much detail you're after. $\endgroup$ Mar 8 '19 at 16:41
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    $\begingroup$ What do you mean "projected" and "luminary"? The Sun's light is radiated and is called sunlight but when it reaches the Earth's atmosphere it is also scattered. The light of the Moon is mostly reflected sunlight and is called moonlight. The light of other celestial bodies is either radiance (e.g. stars, gases) or reflection (e.g. planets) and is loosely called starlight. The effect of illumination on an uneven surface is light and shadow. Which of all these are you after? For "a word or definition", this question (if clarified) might be better suited to English Language & Usage. $\endgroup$ Mar 9 '19 at 21:49
  • $\begingroup$ @zephyr:I don't know how I can use it in a sentence, I'm looking for this definition to be used as the name of my application. $\endgroup$
    – dstr
    Mar 10 '19 at 7:03
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    $\begingroup$ "Lambertian reflectance" are two words I am typing right now. $\endgroup$
    – user21
    Mar 11 '19 at 16:11