The electromagnetic spectrum showing a breakdown of the visible range.
THEORETICALLY SPEAKING:
Why don't we visually see ghosts more often? Why is it that when people do, it's usually a quick, fleeting glimpse? Perhaps it's because the particular wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation they emit or manifest themselves at are just beyond our human sight range, but still close enough to that range that we do catch an occasional glimpse of them when conditions are just right.
There's been a lot of discussion about the infrared end of the spectrum when it comes to ghost research. Orbs of light that are not visible to the naked eye are often captured on digital cameras, with flash and without. Most digital cameras are sensitive to infrared light.
What about the other end of the spectrum? The ultraviolet portion has even more energy than the infrared. Can ghosts be seen in the ultraviolet? There are a few paranormal researchers who have had some success in this area of photography and have captured some odd forms of glowing energy on film.
BEYOND THE RAINBOW - THE ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRUM:
Within the limited range our eyes can perceive, we interpret different wavelengths as colors, from violet (about 400 nanometers) to red (about 700 nanometers). The ultraviolet extends from about 100 nanometers to 400 nanometers. Insects can actually see portions of the ultraviolet.
UV light is further divided in three bands:
- Long wave UV that extends from 320 to 400 nanometers (UV-A) Also called "near ultraviolet"
- Medium wave UV that extends from 280 to 320 nm (UV-B)
- Short wave UV that extends from 200 to 280 nm. (UV-C)
METHODOLOGY:
I will be searching for anomalies in the long wave UV region - around the 300nm to 400nm range....just beyond human sight. I'll be using both digital (Fuji F601) and SLR (Canon AE-1) cameras in locations with a history of paranormal activity. If any anomalies are found in allegedly haunted locations, I will try the experiment in my home (not haunted) as a "control".
My plan is to try three different approaches:Unfortunately, nearly all modern photographic lenses have a coating that blocks a good amount of UV. I am attempting to compensate for this by using long exposure times - dramatically increasing the length of time that the shutter is open and maximizing my chances to collect any potential unusual phenomena in UV. I will also try "energizing" the area to be photographed with fluorescent blacklight bulbs. My philosophy? Try everything....you never know.
- Unenhanced, filtered.
- Fluorescent blacklight enhanced, filtered
- Fluorescent blacklight enhanced, unfiltered
BLACKLIGHTS:
Photographer's light bar and case refitted with fluorescent blacklight bulbs.
Spectrum intensity of incandescent bulbs vs fluorescents.
As you can see in the above graph, there is an intensity spike around 400nm with flourescent bulbs and no such spike with incandescents. Since we're trying to capture anomalies just under 400nm, this is the reason I chose fluorescent blacklight bulbs vs incandescent blacklights. It will hopefully help with the experiment. The bulbs I'm using emit light equal to 60 watt incandescent bulbs. I'll be using four at once. They use 13 watts and have an 8,000 hour bulb life. There is a coating inside that absorbs harmful shortwave UV-B and UV-C light and emits UV-A light. The "black" glass of the bulbs block nearly all visible light.
LENS FILTER:
The spectral transmission curve for the B+W brand 403 UV transmission filter is shown in the above diagram. This is the filter I'll be using in my experiments. This filter shows not only a window of transmission in the ultraviolet but also in the infrared. It actually blocks nearly all visible light and only allows UV to reach the film (SLR). Standard 35mm film is insensitive to IR, but with this filter in place over the digital camera, I may be able to capture some phenomena in the infrared as well.
PERFORMING THE EXPERIMENT:
Session 01: Residential investigation - North Adams
18 SLR exposures, all without blacklight enhancement. Exposure times: 15s to 3m. Results: No anomalies. Found that complete darkness is not necessary for experiment. Household incandescent lighting, flourescent lighting and camera flashes did not show up on film. Any anomalies should be something other than man-made.
Session 02: Charlemont Inn - Charlemont, MA
Photo shows typical result with blacklight enhancement combined with UV transmission filter.
24 SLR exposures, all blacklight enhanced. Exposure times: 15s to 4m. Results: No anomalies.
Research by Scott Cairns
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