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Is Radio Astronomy the First to Measure the Universe Through Invisible Light?

-- Sean | October 25, 2020

Question:

Is radio astronomy the first field of astronomy that observes the universe through invisible light?

-- Sean

Answer:

In fact, most of the wavelengths of light that things like stars, planets, and galaxies radiate at are at wavelengths that our eyes are not sensitive to. The human eye can see things that radiate at wavelengths from about 400 to 700 nanometers. This is a very small part of the total wavelength range for the electromagnetic spectrum of light, which extends from gamma rays (100 picometers) to long radio wavelengths (about 20 meters).

-- Jeff Mangum

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The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
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