June 18, 2006
 

Which field heats up more in the sunlight–a grass field or astroturf?

Visible

Near Infrared

See through most tinted sunglasses and windows–think this is used by security?
Who is not the natural brunette?
Consider building materials when examining urban heat island effects.
Notice the "black top" is still black in the near infrared. Very toasty in the summer!
Save the world–create a paint that reflects near infrared when it is warm and absorb near infrared when it is cold.
Don't forget the beauty when seeing a new world!
Where did the fall colors go?
Lichens on a rock.
Water, in general, is darker than plants in the near infrared (more absorbent)...
except when there is a great deal of algae suspended in the water.
Near infrared would not be very useful for insects to find specific types of plants.
Look at a variety of animals in the near infrared.

Clouds are quite reflective of both near infrared and visible light, but the sky doesn't scatter much near infrared compared to blue light.

 
Compare the different plants their seed mechanisms.

The berries are highly reflective in the near infrared.

These are just some examples to give you ideas to explore your own environment in a new light.

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