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metamerism
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metamerism

color perception
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Metamerism, in the context of color perception, refers to the phenomenon where two colors appear identical to the human eye but are composed of different combinations of wavelengths of light. This occurs because our eyes and brains can compensate for variations in light sources, a property known as color constancy.123

However, this compensation isn't perfect. If two objects match under one type of illumination, they might appear different under another, such as switching from daylight to tungsten light. This difference in appearance based on the light source is metamerism. Because of this effect, it's crucial to compare colors under precisely specified lighting conditions, especially when using color atlases.3

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. metamerism
  2. colour - Colour effects
  3. metameric

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