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

Incandescence

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

Combustion

Lamps

Other

Nuclear and high-energy particle

Celestial and atmospheric

Nebula and stars
Starry sky, the Milky Way, and a shooting star

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.

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.

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

Radioluminescent

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

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