Up until the late 1800s astronomers only studied the universe in the visible lig
ID: 2174911 • Letter: U
Question
Up until the late 1800s astronomers only studied the universe in the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. As you have seen this was an extreme limitation. This brings to mind some questions about the why and how of visible light. Here are some topics to discuss.Our species has eyesight which responds best at the peak spectrum of our Sun. Why do you think this is the case? Do nocturnal animals have the same spectral range in their eyesight? Give examples to prove your case. How would our surroundings appear to us if our eyesight spectral response peaked in the radio wavelength portion of the spectrum? the infra-red portion? How would sensitivity to these differing portions of the spectrum change the construction of out eyes? To answer this think about resolving power, the ability to discern detail is 1/a = Pupil diameter/0.02 x wavelength. This means that for a given resolving power the pupil diameter will have to increase proportionally with respect to wavelength. (think about the wavelength of visible light, infra-red and radio waves.) How would this work? Can you see colors in a dark room? Explain how this works in terms of the rod and cone receptors in your eye. Also how does this explain why you can't see all the great colors in astronomical pictures, e.g. the Orion Nebula.
Explanation / Answer
Animals and insects cover an exhaustive field of biological diversity. The majority of spiders have eight eyes and poor vision, while flies have hundreds of tiny lenses and near-360-degree vision. Eagles can spot a mouse from over one mile high (1.6 km), while a sloth has trouble seeing any animal that isn’t moving. Considering this vast diversity, whether or not animals see in color is a question that must be taken species by species. In humans, rods and cones in the eye’s retina detect light and color, respectively. Rods allow us to see shapes in dim light and make our way down the hall in the middle of the night. Cones, which detect color, require more light to activate. For this reason you might notice that you don’t see color in the dark; instead, everything appears in shades of gray. Flip on a light, and the retina’s cones activate, relaying color information to the brain
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