Many of us teach that insects can see “invisible” ultraviolet light, but what demonstrations do we perform to illustrate this? Often UV can be used to cause fluorescence or phosphorescence, which can make its existence more visible. But, is it possible to create photographs or videos that convincingly illustrate the vision of insects? In this article we provide instruction on how to create such photographs with ultraviolet light and present an appropriate discussion of how and why insects and even some people can see beyond the visible color spectrum.
References
1.
Richard
Feynman
, The Feynman Lectures on Physics
, Vol. I
, Chap. 36, “Mechanisms of Seeing.”2.
3.
Andrew
Davidhazy
has already written extensively on the topic of UV and infrared photography with film and digital cameras. http://www.davidhazy.org/andpph/text-ir-uv-book.pdf http://www.davidhazy.org/andpph/text-infrared-ultraviolet.html http://www.davidhazy.org/andpph/text-ultraviolet-wratten-18A.html http://www.davidhazy.org/andpph/text-infrared-luminescence.html http://www.davidhazy.org/andpph/text-canon-fuji-IR-comparison.html.4.
Jochen
Kuhn
and Patrik
Vogt
, “Diffraction experiments with infrared remote controls
,” Phys. Teach.
50
, 118
(Feb.
2012
).5.
“
Understanding DSLR vs. Mirrorless Cameras
,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ezKmawMEUs.6.
Ref. 1 provides a discussion of how bee eyes are limited by diffraction.
7.
8.
One such testimony is found at http://www.komar.org/faq/colorado-cataract-surgery-crystalens/ultra-violet-color-glow/.
9.
Ref. 2 contains this demonstration.
© 2019 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2019
American Association of Physics Teachers
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