Black Lighting

rancid-a

Okay don't laugh, not even a little bit! I understand black lighting makes glow-in-the-dark stuff more...glowy, but what colour do black lighting bulbs give off? Is it purple-blue? A bit like those funny torches they use in C.S.I. type shows?

Thorntonone

the short answer to your question is yes, also the colour white is enhanced as well.

superscaper

A black light is just a misnomer for an ultra violet light. You can see it glow purple but that's merely a "side-effect". It's the UV light (invisible) that makes it a "black light" and is absorbed and reemitted by some materials in the visible range to make them "glow".

Fifer

superscaper wrote: »

A black light is just a misnomer for an ultra violet light.

I'd argue it isn't completely a misnomer, as 'black' light is outside the visible range of the human eye so should should look no different to darkness to humans, unless it stimulates something to emit visible light.

timbim_2

Real thing is, UV is as much light as Xrays and radio waves are. There're all electromagnetic waves outside the visible spectrum, which ranges from around 400nm to 700nm (nanometres) wavelength.

superscaper

Fifer wrote: »

I'd argue it isn't completely a misnomer, as 'black' light is outside the visible range of the human eye so should should look no different to darkness to humans, unless it stimulates something to emit visible light.

Depends on what you mean by the visible range of the human eye.

The human eye (cones) can see UV, it's just that pesky lens on the front that blocks it from entering the eye.

rancid-a

So one would be okay for a mood light on the desk...so I can see where the keys are during an online gaming session?

totalsolutions

Buy a gaming / backlit keyboard from Logitech then, lower running costs.

Domokun

UV light causes genetic breakdown and cancer. Thats why you shouldn't use sunbeds! If you're seriously looking into this, do your research thoroughly. The UV might be too weak to do any harm, who knows. I would be damn sure I wasn't doing myself any harm if I were considering it.

Domokun,
being over-cautioius.

superscaper

Domokun wrote: »

UV light causes genetic breakdown and cancer. Thats why you shouldn't use sunbeds! If you're seriously looking into this, do your research thoroughly. The UV might be too weak to do any harm, who knows. I would be damn sure I wasn't doing myself any harm if I were considering it.

Domokun,
being over-cautioius.

Sunbeds I presume use UVB. "Blacklights" use UVA light. It's UVB and UVC that causes direct genetic breakdown. UVA is much safer and I don't think even that is produced in greater quantity than daylight.

john_s_2

This page on Wikipedia might (cough) 'illuminate' this a bit more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_light

I only clicked on this thread as I remember reading somewhere that when the Sisters of Mercy (80s band) played the Royal Albert Hall they asked for the stage lighting to be black.