List of light sources
This is a list of sources of light, including both natural and artificial processes that emit light. This article focuses on sources that produce wavelengths from about 390 to 700 nanometers, called visible light.
Electric discharge
- Electrodeless lamp
- Excimer lamp
- Fluorescent lamp
- Compact fluorescent lamp
- Tanning lamp
- Black lights
- Geissler tube
- Moore tube (Defunct)
- "Ruhmkorff" lamp (Defunct)
- High-intensity discharge lamp
- Hollow-cathode lamp
- Induction lighting
- Sulfur lamp
Sulfur lamps
- Sulfur lamp
- Neon and argon lamps
- Dekatron (Defunct)
Dekatron - Nixie tube
- Dekatron (Defunct)
- Plasma lamp
- Xenon flash lamp
Incandescence
Incandescence is the emission of light from a hot body as a result of its temperature.
- Black-body radiation
- Carbon button lamp (Defunct)
- Earthquake light
- Halogen lamp
- Incandescent light bulb
Incandescent light bulb - Lava
- Nernst lamp (Defunct)
- Volcanic eruption
Volcanic eruption
Combustion
Lamps
- Argand lamp (Defunct)
- Argon flash
- Carbide lamp
- Betty lamp (Defunct)
- Butter lamp
- Flash-lamp (Defunct)
- Gas lighting
- Gas mantle
- Kerosene lamps
- Koniaphostic light, see Limelight
- Lanterns
- Limelights (Defunct)
- Oil lamps
Oil lamp - Tilley lamp
Other
- Bunsen burner
- Candle
Candle - Embers
- Explosives
- Fire
Fire - Fire whirl
Fire whirl - Fireworks
Fireworks - Flamethrower
- Muzzle flash
- Rubens' tube
- Torch
Nuclear and high-energy particle
Celestial and atmospheric
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/EmissionNebula_NGC6357.jpg/115px-EmissionNebula_NGC6357.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Perseid_Meteor.jpg/115px-Perseid_Meteor.jpg)
Luminescence
Luminescence is emission of light by a substance not resulting from heat.
Aventurescence
In gemology, aventurescence (sometimes called aventurization) is an optical reflectance effect seen in certain gems.
Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence is light resulting from biochemical reaction by a living organism.
- Aequorea victoria
- Antarctic krill
- Biophotons
- Cavitation bubbles
- Foxfire
- Glowworm
- Luciferase
- Panellus stipticus
Bioluminescent panellus stipticus - Parchment worm
- Piddock
Cathodoluminescence
Cathodoluminescence is light resulting from a luminescent material being struck by electrons.
Chemiluminescence
Chemiluminescence is light resulting from a chemical reaction.
Cryoluminescence
Cryoluminescence is the emission of light when an object is cooled.
Crystalloluminescence
Crystalloluminescence is light produced during crystallization.
Electrochemiluminescence
Electrochemiluminescence is light resulting from electrochemical reaction.
Electroluminescence
Electroluminescence is light resulting from an electric current being passed through a substance.
- Light-emitting diodes
- Organic light-emitting diodes
- Polymer light-emitting diodes
- AMOLED
- Light-emitting electrochemical cell
- Electroluminescent wires
- Field-induced polymer electroluminescent
- Laser
Lasers
Mechanoluminescence
Mechanoluminescence is light resulting from a mechanical action on a solid.
Triboluminescence, a type of mechanoluminescence, is light generated when bonds in a material are broken when that material is scratched, crushed, or rubbed.
Fractoluminescence, a type of mechanoluminescence, is light generated when bonds in certain crystals are broken by fractures.
Piezoluminescence, a type of mechanoluminescence, is light produced by the action of pressure on certain solids.
Sonoluminescence, a type of mechanoluminescence, is light resulting from imploding bubbles in a liquid when excited by sound.
Photoluminescence
Photoluminescence is light resulting from absorption of photons.
Fluorescence, a type of photoluminescence, is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation.
Unlike fluorescence, a phosphorescent material does not immediately re-emit the radiation it absorbs.
Radioluminescence
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Tritium-watch.jpg/115px-Tritium-watch.jpg)
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
External links
![]() | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (June 2016) |
- A CD spectrometer Color spectrographs of common light sources
- The Double Amici Prism Hand-Held Spectroscope in Practice – Dozens of raw visible spectra of a wide variety of light sources.