Q&A for How to See Infrared Light

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Why does an infrared camera see people in the dark?

Community Answer

Humans produce heat - otherwise known as infrared radiation - which an infrared camera catches.

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Question

What can I use instead of a camera?

Andy Winder

Community Answer

If you don't have a camera, any video recording device will do. Smartphones and video recorders, for example, can also work.

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Question

Isn't that "blue-white light" really ultraviolet, not infrared?

Community Answer

No. Your camera sees infrared light as purple because the light interacts with the camera sensor. The camera gets "confused" and shows it as white.

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Question

How is infrared created?

Andy Winder

Community Answer

Infrared light is part of the light spectrum. Objects emit infrared light when they are warm, but not hot enough to radiate visible light. The warmer an object is, the more it emits infrared light.

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Question

Why do cameras show infrared light as white and blue instead of red?

Community Answer

Light particles actually move and behave as waves, like water or sound. The wavelengths humans can see range between red through yellow, green, blue, and purple with infrared and ultraviolet at the extreme ends. IR has a very subtle rolling wave, and UV has an extreme zigzag pattern to their wavelengths. Have you seen on TV when a car is in motion and the tires go forward, then seem to stand still before appearing to spin backwards? This is due to the frame rate of the film. Your device, unless you have super high DPI and refresh rate, is going to show it as bluish-purple. Top-end devices display it as a rapidly oscillating color shift through the whole spectrum.

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Question

How does infrared light work?

Community Answer

When an object is not quite hot enough to radiate visible light, it will emit most of its energy as infrared waves. In other words, it will make heat as most of its energy. Note: That doesn't mean things that can give other electromagnetic waves can't produce infrared waves.

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