Why not UV photography?

[lightandlife]

From Matt Chase's post, I learned a lot about infrared photography.

The frequency range of radio is up to a trillion (10^12) Herz, and infrared is (10^12 - 10^14) or up to 100 trillion Herz. From there, our visible light goes up to 1 quadrillion (10^15) Herz and ultra violet starts from there.

Infrared photography or lens lets us see those things that exist but naked eye cannot see, usually because it is too dark. I am conjecturing that ultra violet (short of X ray) lens (if available) or photography will let us see things that exist but are not visible to naked eye (probably because it is too bright?). So why aren't ultraviolet photography developed? We might be able to see something strange around us (even aliens?)

Instead of using sunglasses blocking UV lights, perhaps we should develop lenses or cameras that would see UV lights.

[AJSJones]

One fairly major practical reason is that most glass absorbs ultraviolet radiation. If you wanted to do UV all your optics would need to be UV transparent, for example made of quartz.

Some people can see below 400 nm, and some lens surgery allows them to see down a bit further depending on the material used for the transplant. Some insects can see down here too, but go down too far (below 200 nm) and the oxygen in the atmosphere also absorbs....

[Guillermo Freige]

Light:
Check this site


http://www.cliffshade.com/dpfwiw/filters.htm#uv_imaging

There is a lot of info and links of IR and UV photography

[lightandlife]

Thanks Guillermo.

That site is extremely useful! I was just folllowing my logic and exploring the possibility of UV photography, but did not actualy believe UV photography is practiced.

My main interest in UVP is not in improving picture quality (which is always welcome), but the possibility of photographing things or beings that might be around us but are invisible to naked eye.

Owls can see things at night, and hence are a nocturnal animal. But they are inactive during the day because they cannot see things in daylight. We humans are to UV light as owls are to visible light. In other words, we can't see those invisible things or beings because it is too bright, but they may become visible to us by means of UV photoraphy.

I wonder for instance, if angels would be caught in UV photography.