Webb image archive
Sunlight Spread Out into a Spectrum
Sunlight that passes through a prism naturally separates into its component colors in a very specific order—rainbow order—based on wavelength. (Red light waves are longest, an...
- Date
- Dec 13, 2023
- Observatory
- James Webb Space Telescope
- Credit
- NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI
- Archive ID
- 01F8GF658T060QGSSZYR1GD6GA
Sunlight that passes through a prism naturally separates into its component colors in a very specific order—rainbow order—based on wavelength. (Red light waves are longest, and violet light waves are shortest.) This rainbow is known as the visible spectrum. In addition to visible light, sunlight also contains significant amounts of infrared and ultraviolet light, both of which are invisible to human eyes.
Credits
Illustration
NASA, ESA, Leah Hustak (STScI)