Consider the following statements : 1. The albedo of an object determines its visual brightness when viewed with reflected light. 2. The albedo of Mercury is much greater than the albedo of the Earth. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Statement 1: The albedo of an object is a measure of how much light that hits a surface is reflected without being absorbed. It significantly determines its visual brightness when viewed with reflected light (e.g., planets reflecting sunlight). Statement 1 is correct. 2. Statement 2: The albedo of Mercury is actually very low (around 0.1 to 0.14), meaning it reflects little sunlight. The albedo of the Earth is much higher (around 0.3), primarily due to clouds and ice cover. Therefore, the statement that Mercury's albedo is much greater than Earth's is incorrect. Statement 2 is incorrect.