What is infrared light?

Infrared radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation, as are radio waves, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and microwaves. Infrared (IR) light is the part of the EM spectrum that people encounter most in everyday life, although much of it goes unnoticed. It is invisible to human eyes, but people can feel it as heat. read more

Infrared light is one type of light that is invisible to us. Gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet light, microwaves and radio waves are other types of invisible light. All of these rays and waves are the same type of electromagnetic energy. They are different only because the length of their waves are different. read more

Infrared light from the Sun accounts for 49% of the heating of Earth, with the rest being caused by visible light that is absorbed then re-radiated at longer wavelengths. Visible light or ultraviolet-emitting lasers can char paper and incandescently hot objects emit visible radiation. read more

Infrared radiation, or simply infrared or IR, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with longer wavelengths than those of visible light, and is therefore invisible, although it is sometimes loosely called infrared light. read more

We experience infrared light every time we feel the heat of the sun on our skin or the warmth of a camp fire. Technically, what we are experiencing in these instances is thermal infrared light. Scientists call waves of electromagnetic energy that travel through space light. read more