A LIDAR instrument and a method for operating a LIDAR instrument are disclosed. In an embodiment a LIDAR instrument includes a transmitter including a narrow band laser diode configured to emit light in a spectral envelope of 2 nm or less around a central wavelength, wherein the spectral envelope overlaps with an atmospheric molecular absorption band in which a solar radiation is attenuated by at least 3 dB compared to an adjacent non-spectrally-attenuated wavelength band, wherein molecular absorption in the atmospheric molecular absorption band is due to water vapor, carbon dioxide, oxygen, ozone methane, or nitrous oxide and wherein the atmospheric molecular absorption band is located between 700 nm and 10,000 nm, and a detector including a filter configured to receive a reflected light in a band of 5 nm or less around the central wavelength.