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This is a list of sources of light, the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...
sources produce photons from another energy source, such as heat, chemical reactions, or conversion of mass or a different frequency of electromagnetic energy, and include light bulbs and stars like the Sun. Reflectors (such as the moon, cat's eyes, and mirrors) do not actually produce the light that comes from them.


Incandescence

Incandescence is the emission of light from a hot body as a result of its temperature. * *


Combustion


Lamps

* (obsolete) * * * * (error) * * * * *s *s * (obsolete) *s *


Other

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Nuclear and high-energy particle

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Celestial and atmospheric

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Astronomical object An astronomical object, celestial object, stellar object or heavenly body is a naturally occurring physical entity, association, or structure that exists in the observable universe. In astronomy, the terms ''object'' and ''body'' are often us ...
s **
Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
(
sunlight Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when t ...
,
solar radiation Solar irradiance is the power per unit area (surface power density) received from the Sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range of the measuring instrument. Solar irradiance is measured in watts per square metre (W/m ...
) *** *** **
Star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...
(
Starlight Starlight is the light emitted by stars. It typically refers to visible electromagnetic radiation from stars other than the Sun, observable from Earth at night, although a component of starlight is observable from Earth during daytime. Sunligh ...
) ***
Nova A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
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supernova A supernova is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. It has the plural form supernovae or supernovas, and is abbreviated SN or SNe. This transient astronomical event occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star or when ...
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hypernova A hypernova (sometimes called a collapsar) is a very energetic supernova thought to result from an extreme core-collapse scenario. In this case, a massive star (>30 solar masses) collapses to form a rotating black hole emitting twin energetic je ...
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Meteor A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space. Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as micr ...
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Lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electric charge, electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the land, ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous ...
(
Plasma Plasma or plasm may refer to: Science * Plasma (physics), one of the four fundamental states of matter * Plasma (mineral), a green translucent silica mineral * Quark–gluon plasma, a state of matter in quantum chromodynamics Biology * Blood pla ...
) ** ** ** ** * *


Luminescence

Luminescence is emission of light by a substance not resulting from heat.


Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence is light resulting from biochemical reaction by a living organism. * * * * Cavitation bubbles made by mantis shrimps * * * * * * * *


Cathodoluminescence

Cathodoluminescence is light resulting from a luminescent material being struck by electrons.


Chemiluminescence

Chemiluminescence is light resulting from a
chemical reaction A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the IUPAC nomenclature for organic transformations, chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Classically, chemical reactions encompass changes that only involve the pos ...
.


Cryoluminescence

Cryoluminescence is the emission of light when an object is cooled.


Crystalloluminescence

Crystalloluminescence is light produced during
crystallization Crystallization is the process by which solid forms, where the atoms or molecules are highly organized into a structure known as a crystal. Some ways by which crystals form are precipitating from a solution, freezing, or more rarely deposi ...
.


Electric discharge (Electrical energy)

* ** ** * ** ** * ** ** ** *** *** *** *** *** (Obsolete) *** (Obsolete) ** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ** ** *** ** *** *** ** **


Electrochemiluminescence

Electrochemiluminescence is light resulting from an
electrochemical reaction Electrochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry concerned with the relationship between electrical potential difference, as a measurable and quantitative phenomenon, and identifiable chemical change, with the potential difference as an outco ...
.


Electroluminescence

Electroluminescence is light resulting from an electric current being passed through a substance. * * * * * * * * ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *** Long distance beam light ** ** ** ** ** **


Mechanoluminescence

Mechanoluminescence is light resulting from a mechanical action on a solid. *
Triboluminescence Triboluminescence is a phenomenon in which light is generated when a material is mechanically pulled apart, ripped, scratched, crushed, or rubbed (see tribology). The phenomenon is not fully understood, but appears to be caused by the separation a ...
, light generated when bonds in a material are broken when that material is scratched, crushed, or rubbed * Fractoluminescence, light generated when bonds in certain crystals are broken by fractures *
Piezoluminescence Piezoluminescence is a form of luminescence created by pressure upon certain solids. This phenomenon is characterized by recombination processes involving electrons, holes and impurity ion centres. Some piezoelectric crystals give off a certain amo ...
, light produced by the action of pressure on certain solids *
Sonoluminescence Sonoluminescence is the emission of light from imploding bubbles in a liquid when excited by sound. History The sonoluminescence effect was first discovered at the University of Cologne in 1934 as a result of work on sonar. Hermann Frenzel and ...
, light resulting from imploding bubbles in a liquid when excited by sound


Photoluminescence

Photoluminescence is light resulting from absorption of photons. *
Fluorescence Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. It is a form of luminescence. In most cases, the emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore a lower photon energy, tha ...
, the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation *
Phosphorescence Phosphorescence is a type of photoluminescence related to fluorescence. When exposed to light (radiation) of a shorter wavelength, a phosphorescent substance will glow, absorbing the light and reemitting it at a longer wavelength. Unlike fluo ...
, the delayed re-emission of light by substance that has absorbed it


Radioluminescence

Radioluminescence is light resulting from bombardment by ionizing radiation.


Thermoluminescence

Thermoluminescence is light from the re-emission of absorbed energy when a substance is heated.


See also

* List of reflected light sources *
Luminous efficacy Luminous efficacy is a measure of how well a light source produces visible light. It is the ratio of luminous flux to power, measured in lumens per watt in the International System of Units (SI). Depending on context, the power can be either the ...
*
Photometry (optics) Photometry is the science of the measurement of light, in terms of its perceived brightness to the human eye. It is distinct from radiometry, which is the science of measurement of radiant energy (including light) in terms of absolute power. I ...


References


External links


A CD spectrometer
Color spectrographs of common light sources {{DEFAULTSORT:Light Sources Technology-related lists Electronics lists