Black Body radiation and thermal equilibrium

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Joker93
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Wikipedia writes: "Black-body radiation is the type of electromagnetic radiation within or surrounding a body in thermodynamic equilibrium with its environment". Why does it write "thermodynamic equilibrium"? If it is not in a thermodynamic equilibrium, then what changes as far as the absorption and emmition of light go?
 
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Bystander said:
Net absorption/emission.
In what way does it change?