1

I have read this post and from it was my understanding that the definition of a blackbody is:

Black body means a body which ABSORBS all wavelengths completely.

After reading this answer on another post

I gained the understanding that a $\color{green}{\text{black body doesn't have to be in thermal equilibrium.}}$

Wikipedia agrees with both the statements above.

So all is well, but then I read this (from the Imperial College London, Department of Physics):

Black Body Radiation

Stars have high densities -> frequent collisions that can lead to thermodynamic equilibrium where all particles (electrons, ions, photons) have a single temperature

Can often approximate stars as black bodies!

This has got to be a joke right? So does it seem that any object in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings will emit as a black body? I don't see how thermal equilibrium implies a black body (even if it is an approximation).

This also contradicts the line in green above.

BLAZE
  • 2,441
  • 3
  • 35
  • 64

1 Answers1

3

No, thermal equilibrium does not mean something is a blackbody. A red apple can be in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings. It is manifestly not a blackbody radiator.

The outer parts of a star, from whence the radiation we see, escapes, is approximately in thermal equilibrium at a certain temperature. A star absorbs nearly all radiation incident upon it. A star is approximately a blackbody radiator.

ProfRob
  • 141,325