Ultraviolet is the name for a range of light (energy) having a wavelength shorter than the visible light that can be detected by the human eye. While ultraviolet itself is invisible, it causes many substances to glow (fluoresce) in a variety of colors visible to the human eye. It is this ability to make the invisible visible that makes ultraviolet lamps so valuable for mineral prospecting, criminal investigations, postal stamp evaluation and a host of other applications ranging from sanitation to medicine.
Be careful to limit exposure of your eyes to shortwave ultraviolet rays. These rays can “sunburn” the eyes and cause uncomfortable irritation. You should not look into a shortwave lamp when it is turned on.
When working near a shortwave lamp we recommend the wearing of protective glasses.
Longwave ultraviolet normally does not irritate the eyes but we would not recommend staring into an ultraviolet lamp any more than we would recommend staring into any other light.
