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Creation Day One: "Let there be light!"
Infrared waves are called "IR" for short. "Infra" means "below" because infrared waves are found just below visible red light in the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared waves have very short wavelengths ranging from 1 millimeter to 380 nanometers (.000000001 meters). You probably think of infrared waves as heat, because they're given off by hot objects. In fact all matter in the universe that has a temperature above absolute zero (–273.15°C or –459.67°F) gives off infrared waves. That includes stars, lamps, flames and anything else that's has a temperature above absolute zero - including you. It’s not possible for warm-blooded animals such as mammals and birds to see infrared light because their own bodies release heat. However, several cold- blooded animals can see infrared light. Pit vipers snakes, which includes pythons, boas, and rattlesnakes, have a particularly well-developed ability to sense heat in the dark thanks to their infrared vision. When an adult female mosquito looks for blood, she uses her infrared seeing skills to find a warm-blooded host to bite. She uses the protein and iron in the blood to make her eggs.
Some species of fish such as goldfish, salmon, piranha and cichlid can also see infrared light. In fact, goldfish are the only members of the animal kingdom that can see both infrared and ultraviolet light. Bullfrogs can see infrared light both above and below the water surface. Weather forecasters use IR satellite images to show the cloud and rain patterns more clearly. Remote controls for TVs use IR light and so do all motion detectors.
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