ultraviolet radiation: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 8, 2026

News •

Air holes turn silicon wafers into flat ultraviolet focusing mirrors for compact optics • Nov. 6, 2026, 5:00 PM ET (Phys.org)

Facts

Also Known As	UV radiation • ultraviolet wave • ultraviolet light

Photos and Videos

Diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum showing different types of waves arranged by wavelength and frequency, from gamma rays and X-rays to ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, microwave, TV/FM radio, shortwave radio, AM radio, and longwave radio.

an image taken by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory's Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope

Figure 1: The electromagnetic spectrum.

Diagram illustrating ozone chemistry in pure oxygen, showing the cyclical reactions between molecular oxygen (O2), atomic oxygen (O), and ozone (O3), with arrows indicating conversion steps and the role of light energy.

Diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum with labeled sections for radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays, each paired with an example use and corresponding image.

What causes our skin to wrinkle as we age?

How does sunscreen work to protect skin?

Understand how the electromagnetic spectrum helps study the celestial bodies

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

UVA radiation vacuum-ultraviolet radiation UVC radiation UVB radiation ultraviolet photography ultraviolet radiation injury ultraviolet spectroscopy sunscreen Ultraviolet astronomy electromagnetic radiation light X-ray gamma ray Solar radiation infrared radiation radio wave microwave spectroscopy luminescence photoelectric effect

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

default image

Johann Wilhelm Ritter

German physicist

default image

George Wald

American biochemist

Fabry, Charles

Charles Fabry

French physicist