Using one year of merged Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), Moderate Resolution Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MODIS) and Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) data sets from NASA's Terra platform we report the global top of atmosphere cloud-free direct radiative effect (DRE) of tropospheric aerosols. The global mean shortwave DRE for cloud free conditions is -5.7 ± 0.8 Wm^-2. These values are consistent with those reported in the literature although this is the first attempt to provide observational estimates of the global DRE using satellite data alone. Both global and regional analysis as a function of seasons will be presented in detail. This study demonstrates how synergistic use of multi-spectral, multi-angle and broadband flux data sets continue to be useful for addressing aerosol-climate problems. Studies such as these can provide observational constraints on the response of a climate model to aerosol forcing and can aid in reducing uncertainty (due to aerosols) in modeling both regional and global climate projections.