ETYM Latin, from albus white.
Whiteness, as of a celestial object; degree of whiteness; Photography, reflecting power of a surface; Astronomy, ratio of light reflected from a body to total amount it receives from the sun.
The fraction of the incoming light reflected by a body such as a planet. A body with a high albedo, near 1, is very bright, while a body with a low albedo, near 0, is dark. The Moon has an average albedo of 0.12, Venus 0.65, Earth 0.37.
The ratio of reflected to incident light; SYN. reflective power.