Infrared

Infrared (IR) light is Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths from 1mm to 780nm. This light is invisible to human eyes. It has longer wavelengths than visible light, but shorter than microwaves and radio waves. We feel it on our skin as radiative heat.

Mars' Atmosphere is transparent to IR light, so Mars rapidly cools at night. (On Earth, our air slows radiating IR light at night, so temperature drops slowly.) A key concept to Terraforming Mars is to make the atmosphere block IR light, so that the planet will warm.

About 52% of solar radiation is in IR. (About 44% is in the visible spectrum and 3% in UV. The small remainder is in shorter or longer wavelengths.)

Subtypes (Colors) of Infrared (IR)

• Infrared A: is from 780nm (nanometers) to 1.4um (micrometers).
• Infrared B: is from 1.4um to 3um.
• Infrared C: is from 3um to 1mm (millimetres). Also known as far infrared.

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