Page 113 - The Creation Of The Universe
P. 113
10 -16
Gamma rays
10 -4
X-rays
10 -2
Ultraviolet light
0.30
blue 0.40
Visible light Solar
red 0.70
radiation
1.50
Infrared light
10 3
Microwaves
10 9
Radio waves
THE DIFFERENT WAVELENGTHS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
The stars and other sources of light in the universe do not all give out the same kind of
radiation. Instead, they radiate energy with a broad range of wavelengths. Gamma rays,
25
which have the shortest wavelengths, are just 1/10 the length of the longest radio
waves. Strangely enough, nearly all of the radiation emitted by the Sun falls into a single
25
band that is also 1/10 of the whole spectrum. The reason, is that the only kinds of radi-
ation that are necessary and fit for life fall in this narrow band.
