List of light sources

List of light sources

This is a list of sources of light, including both natural and artificial processes that emit light. This article focuses on sources that produce wavelengths from about 390 to 700 nanometers, called visible light.

Incandescence
Incandescence is the emission of light from a hot body as a result of its temperature.


Black-body radiation
Carbon button lamp (Defunct)
Earthquake light
Halogen lamp
Incandescent light bulb

Incandescent light bulb
Lava
Nernst lamp (Defunct)
Volcanic eruption

Lamps
Argand lamp (Defunct)
Argon flash
Carbide lamp
Betty lamp (Defunct)
Butter lamp
Flash-lamp (Defunct)
Gas lighting
Gas mantle
Kerosene lamps
Koniaphostic light, see Limelight
Lanterns
Limelights (Defunct)
Oil lamps

Oil lamp
Tilley lamp
Other
Brazier
Bunsen burner
Candle

Candle
Embers
Explosives
Fire

Fire
Fire whirl

Fire whirl
Fireworks

Fireworks
Flamethrower
Muzzle flash
Rubens' tube
Torch
Nuclear and high-energy particle
Main articles: Nuclear physics and Particle physics
Annihilation
Nuclear bomb
Cherenkov radiation
Synchrotron radiation
Free electron laser
Bremsstrahlung
Celestial and atmospheric

Nebula and stars

Starry sky, the Milky Way, and a shooting star
Main article: Astronomical object
Astronomical objects
Sun (sunlight, solar radiation)
Corona
Photosphere
Stars (Starlight)
Nova / supernova / hypernova
Galaxies
Milky Way
Star clusters
Deep sky objects
Quasars
Accretion discs
Blazars
Magnetars
Pulsars
Atmospheric entry
Meteors

Meteor
Meteor showers
Bolide
Earth-grazing fireball
Lightning (Plasma)
Sprite (lightning)
Ball lightning
Upper-atmospheric lightning
Dry lightning
Aurorae
Čerenkov radiation
Luminescence
Main article: Luminescence
Luminescence is emission of light by a substance not resulting from heat.

Aventurescence
In gemology, aventurescence (sometimes called aventurization) is an optical reflectance effect seen in certain gems.

Bioluminescence
Main article: Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence is light resulting from biochemical reaction by a living organism.

Aequorea victoria
Antarctic krill
Biophotons
Cavitation bubbles
Foxfire
Glowworm
Luciferase
Panellus stipticus

Bioluminescent panellus stipticus
Parchment worm
Piddock
Cathodoluminescence
Main article: Cathodoluminescence
Cathodoluminescence is light resulting from a luminescent material being struck by electrons.

Chemiluminescence
Main article: Chemiluminescence

Chemiluminescence glow sticks
Chemiluminescence is light resulting from a chemical reaction.

Cryoluminescence
Main article: Cryoluminescence
Cryoluminescence is the emission of light when an object is cooled.

Crystalloluminescence
Main article: Crystalloluminescence
Crystalloluminescence is light produced during crystallization.

Electric discharge (Electrical energy.)
Main article: Electric arc
Arc lamp
Flashtube
Main article: Electrostatic discharge
Lightning
Electric spark
Main article: Gas discharge lamp
Electrodeless lamp
Excimer lamp
Fluorescent lamp
Compact fluorescent lamp
Tanning lamp
Black lights
Geissler tube
Moore tube (Defunct)
"Ruhmkorff" lamp (Defunct)
High-intensity discharge lamp

High-intensity discharge lamp
Carbon arc lamp
Ceramic discharge metal-halide lamp
Hydrargyrum medium-arc iodide lamp
Mercury-vapor lamp
Metal-halide lamp
Sodium-vapor lamp
Sulfur lamp
Xenon arc lamp
Hollow-cathode lamp
Induction lighting
Sulfur lamp

Sulfur lamps
Neon and argon lamps
Dekatron (Defunct)

Dekatron
Nixie tube
Plasma lamp
Xenon flash lamp
Electrochemiluminescence
Main article: Electrochemiluminescence
Electrochemiluminescence is light resulting from electrochemical reaction.

Electroluminescence
Main article: Electroluminescence
Electroluminescence is light resulting from an electric current being passed through a substance.


Light-emitting diodes
Light-emitting diodes
Organic light-emitting diodes
Polymer light-emitting diodes
AMOLED
Light-emitting electrochemical cell
Electroluminescent wires
Field-induced polymer electroluminescent
Laser

Lasers
Chemical laser
Dye laser
Free-electron laser
Gas dynamic laser
Gas laser
Ion laser
Laser diode
Laser flashlight
Metal-vapor laser
Nonlinear optics
Quantum well laser
Ruby laser
Solid-state laser
Mechanoluminescence
Main article: Mechanoluminescence
Mechanoluminescence is light resulting from a mechanical action on a solid.

Triboluminescence, light gene