Can Humans See Infrared Light

The visible spectrum, plus ultraviolet and infrared light

With review and contributions from Ophthalmologist Ernest Bhend, MD (Fort Manufacturing plant)

Humans tin can run across a wide diversity of colors along the visible light spectrum. Only the spectrum of light goes beyond red and violet, and these rays are invisible to the human center. Today we'll talk near infrared and ultraviolet rays, and why we can't see them.

What is the visible spectrum?

Before nosotros talk well-nigh lite we can't see, let's talk about what we can. The visible lite spectrum is a department of the electromagnetic spectrum that the human eye tin can find. The cones in our optics deed every bit receivers for radiation with wavelengths from 380 to 700 nanometers. This includes red, orange, yellow, dark-green, bluish, purple, and all the colors in between.

What is infrared low-cal?

Infrared waves are a portion of the light spectrum that follows cherry-red. They have longer wavelengths than visible light, ranging from 700 nanometers to one millimeter. This renders them invisible to humans in well-nigh all conditions. At that place are limited situations, though, when humans can see infrared calorie-free. If concentrated bursts hit the centre, they can be perceived as a flash of green light.

Infrared lights are commonly used in remote controls. They are also used in thermal imaging cameras or night vision goggles because infrared can be detected as heat. If you lot accept ever seen the multicolored images from a thermal imaging camera, yous are seeing these devices translate infrared waves in a way that humans can encounter them.

Infrared light is often used in astronomy because it can perceive objects that would exist too faint to detect in visible light.

While information technology is difficult for humans to run into infrared light, some animals, like snakes and bedbugs, can detect it.

What is ultraviolet low-cal?

Ultraviolet light is a type of electromagnetic radiation that precedes the color violet in the light spectrum. The sunday is the best-known source of ultraviolet rays.

Ultraviolet calorie-free has shorter wavelengths than visible lite, with lengths of 10 to 400 nanometers. While invisible to humans, every bit with infrared light we tin see the furnishings. For instance, if you have e'er watched a blacklight change the colors of a affiche or seen a depository financial institution teller use one to detect apocryphal money, you are watching the furnishings of ultraviolet light. And, while y'all can't encounter the rays themselves, ultraviolet rays are what cause people's skin to tan in the sun.

Like infrared light, some animals can see ultraviolet rays. Bees, for example, can see this portion of the spectrum.

Can these rays harm me?

Fifty-fifty though you can't see them, infrared and ultraviolet rays tin still cause injury.

Ernest Bhend, MD

"Both infrared and ultraviolet light can harm the light receptors in the eye," CEENTA Ophthalmologist Ernest Bhend, MD, said. "Be sure to wear proper eye protection to protect your eyes from this damage, peculiarly good UV-blocking sunglasses if you are out in the brilliant sunlight."

While infrared and ultraviolet calorie-free are invisible to the homo eye, there are still plenty of things people can see. Don't hesitate to visit a CEENTA eye doctor to make sure you can view all of them as well as possible.

This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, delight consult your doctor. Do you need an centre exam? Phone call 704-295-3000. You can besides schedule an engagement online or through myCEENTAchart.