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Does an astronaut seated next to a window get more exposure to harmful radiation (and if so, which types of radiation) than an astronaut somewhere else in the cabin at the same time?

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    $\begingroup$ More radiation in the visible light portion of the spectrum, certainly... 😉 $\endgroup$
    – Russell Borogove
    May 31, 2019 at 20:53
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    $\begingroup$ @RussellBorogove: I've just added the word "harmful" to the question. $\endgroup$
    – DrSheldon
    May 31, 2019 at 20:56
  • $\begingroup$ windows may be thicker (in radiation lengths) than spacecraft skin thickness, so it could be more, or less, or inconsequential. $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Jun 1, 2019 at 6:51
  • $\begingroup$ The major radiation of concern tends to be protons and electrons from the sun, which are shielded better by low-Z materials than dense materials like lead because of the secondary x-rays. Glass is silicon and oxygen, which are both low on the periodic table, not far from aluminum and carbon. The hull is probably aluminum, maybe with layers of Kevlar (H, C, N, O) and Nextel (Al, O, B, Si). Not actually that different. See: space.stackexchange.com/questions/3830/… $\endgroup$
    – Greg
    Jun 1, 2019 at 21:59

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