Why can we see the light from a source from afar, but... [Archive]

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LogicalAcid

Nov15-10, 08:52 PM

Not be able to feel the heat from afar, only up close? And heat can take form in all kinds of radiation right? So why is it that infrared radiation is always used to describe heat?

NobodySpecial

Nov15-10, 09:09 PM

We can feel the heat from a distant star - you just need a rather sensitive thermometer.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/IRAS_overview.jpg/250px-IRAS_overview.jpg