List of light sources

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of sources of light, including both natural and artificial sources, and both processes and devices.

Contents 1 Natural 2 Direct chemical 3 Combustion-based 4 Electric 4.1 Arc lamps 4.2 Incandescent lamps 4.3 Electroluminescent (EL) lamps 4.4 Gas discharge lamps 4.4.1 High-intensity discharge lamps 5 Nuclear 6 Other 7 See also 8 External links

[edit] Natural

• Astronomical objects
  • Sunlight (Solar radiation)
    • Skylight
    • Moonlight (via reflection)
    • planets, particularly Venus (via reflection)
    • comets (via reflection)
    • meteors (via reflection) of a meteoroid
    • meteor showers (via reflection)
    • asteroids (via reflection)
  • Stars
  • Star clusters
  • Galaxies
  • Nebulae
  • quasars
  • accretion disks
• Bioluminescence
  • Glowworms (Arachnocampa and Phengodidae) and Fireflies (Lampyridae)
  • Aequorea victoria (a type of jellyfish)
  • Antarctic krill
  • Lux operon (a common marine bacterium)
• Lightning
• Aurorae
• Triboluminescence
• Magma, plasma

[edit] Direct chemical

• Chemoluminescence (Lightsticks)
• Fluorescence
• Phosphorescence

[edit] Combustion-based

See also: Combustion

• Argon flash
• Acetylene/Carbide lamps
• Betty lamp
• Butter lamp
• Candles
• Fire
• Flash powder
• Gas lighting
• Kerosene lamps
• Lanterns
• Limelights
• Oil lamps
• Rushlights
• Safety lamps
  • Davy lamps
  • Geordie lamps
• Torches

[edit] Electric

[edit] Arc lamps

Main article: Arc lamp

• Yablochkov candles

[edit] Incandescent lamps

See also: Incandescence

• Carbon button lamp
• Conventional incandescent light bulbs
  • Flashlight
• Halogen lamps
• Globar
• Nernst lamp

[edit] Electroluminescent (EL) lamps

Main article: Electroluminescence

• Light-emitting diodes
  • Organic light-emitting diodes
  • Polymer light-emitting diodes
  • Solid-state lighting
  • LED lamp

[edit] Gas discharge lamps

Main article: Gas discharge lamp

• Fluorescent lamps
  • Compact fluorescent lamps
  • Black light
• Inductive lighting
• Hollow cathode lamp
• Neon and argon lamps
• Plasma lamps
• Xenon flash lamps

[edit] High-intensity discharge lamps

Main article: High-intensity discharge lamp

• Ceramic discharge metal halide lamps
• Hydrargyrum medium-arc iodide (HMI) lamps
• Mercury-vapor lamps
• Metal halide lamps
• Sodium vapor lamps
• Xenon arc lamps
• Sulfur lamps

[edit] Nuclear

• Radioluminescent paint (formerly used on watch and clock dials)
• Self-powered lighting

[edit] Other

[edit] See also

• Photometry (optics) Main Photometry/Radiometry article - explains technical terms
• Spectrometer

[edit] External links

• A CD spectrometerColor spectrographs of common light sources
• [1] Dozens of raw visible spectra of a wide variety of light sources.
• Candle Power Forums - an Internet forum dedicated to the discussion of light sources
• LED professional - A Technology Portal and Magazine about LEDs and its Lighting environment