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Is Full Spectrum Light both visible and invisible?

Obviously we can all see full spectrum light when it's pointed directly at us or when it's reflected/refracted off of an object. However if a light (a torch say) was shined horizontally across our field of vision, from an angle where we could not observe the light directly. Across a vaccum where the beam of light would not be interfered with or interrupted whatsoever. Would we be able to observe the beam of light. If so, how? And if so, wouldn't space be light instead of black?

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  • Asked by Franz
  • on 2010-03-22 01:20:21
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Categories: Our universe.

Tags: light, sunlight, refraction, invisible.

 

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Jon-Richfield says:

The only way for us to observe light directly, no matter what its spectrum might be, is when some of its photons intercept our detectors (such as our eyes). Such light might tell us about say the path of a beam of light passing through a fog, but even then the light that stimulates our retinas is not the beam, just samples that were deflected into our detectors.

We might sometimes be able to deduce the presence and path of light indirectly, for example, an intense beam might accelerate an object in space without any visible light reaching our eyes. Then, if the evidence were suitable we might say: "Ahah! There was a pulse of light there!"

As for "full spectrum light", that is a rather messy concept. It changes according to whether you mean visible light only, or include radio, infra-red, gamma rays etc, and also how much energy there might be in each fraction of the bandwidth.

If you see what I mean...

Jon

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Tags: light, sunlight, refraction, invisible.

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posted on 2010-03-22 16:28:46 | Report abuse


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