Although our eyes cannot see ultraviolet waves, these waves do affect us. Ultraviolet waves (UV waves) are absorbed by our bodies and cause tanning, sunburn, and even skin cancer. UV waves cannot go through glass, so we use sunglasses to block them from our eyes. We also use sunblock on our skin to protect it. Thankfully, much of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun is absorbed by the ozone layer of the atmosphere and doesn’t reach us on earth. Because of pollution, however, the ozone layer is being depleted, so the increased UV radiation is becoming a concern to life on earth. Scientists use ultraviolet telescopes, such as the Hubble space telescope, to detect UV radiation from other galaxies and create images. Bees, birds, and some other insects can see UV radiation. Just like different animals have different hearing ranges than ours, some animals see types of radiation that we can’t! Infrared waves affect us also. We feel infrared radiation as heat. Infrared light waves warm us, but they too can cause burns. When we use passive solar energy (lots of windows) to help heat our homes, what we’re after is not the light from the sun, but the infrared radiation that we can’t even see! Heat lamps produce infrared light waves, as do most television remote control units. Because the visible spectrum is not used, you can’t see the beam coming from the remote control as you change channels. Infrared imaging is used to detect life and other heat sources, and infrared telescopes are used for space exploration.
The photographs on this page show Jupiter in Ultraviolet and the Centaurus A galaxy in Infrared.
Drag and drop the subject into the correct category.
Used in telescopes
Ultraviolet waves
Infrared waves
Drag and drop the subject into the correct category.
Can cause burns
Ultraviolet waves
Infrared waves
Drag and drop the subject into the correct category.
Technology behind remote controls
Ultraviolet waves
Infrared waves
Drag and drop the subject into the correct category.
Causes sunburns
Ultraviolet waves
Infrared waves
Drag and drop the subject into the correct category.
Can be seen by some animals
Ultraviolet waves
Infrared waves
Summary
Questions answered correctly:
Questions answered incorrectly:
