There is more to see than our eyes can process. Above is a short video made by NASA showing our Sun in different light, most of which we can’t see with our naked eye.

Our eyes can only see a small percentage of waves on the electromagnetic spectrum. If we could see all of the wavelengths it would be crazy. You could see X-rays, microwaves, radio waves, TV, gamma rays and even electricity!

The waves we can see are what we call colours. Look around you, there are so many. The human eye can recognise about 2.3 million colours.

What is ultraviolet light?

Ultraviolet light is a type of electromagnetic wave. It’s not visible to the human eye. Ultraviolet light (UV) is 380nm to 10nm. Ten per cent of sunlight is UV light. UV is what causes suntans and sunburns in Summer. In the video you can learn about a probe that is being sent to Mars with a UV sensor. It will tell how much water has been leaked into space.

What is white light?

White light is the small section of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to humans. Its wavelength is 380 nanometres to 700 nanometres (nm). White light is between ultraviolet and infrared light (in wavelengths). White light is what colours come from. To make a leaf green, all the colours except green are absorbed into the leaf and green bounces off back into your eye.

What is infrared light?

Infrared light is just beyond the visible spectrum. It is 1mm to 700nm. It is used a lot in day to day life but you probably don’t even know it! For example, TV remotes use infrared light to send commands. In the video you will learn how infrared light is so useful in everything from weather prediction to farming.