What is Ultraviolet (UV) light?

Ultraviolet light is a type of light you can't see, but it has powerful effects on things around you.

Imagine you're playing outside on a sunny day, and your skin starts to feel warm, that’s the sun's visible light, like what you see when you look at the sky. But there’s another kind of light from the sun that you can’t see: ultraviolet (UV) light. It's like the invisible friend of sunlight, hiding just beyond the colors you can see.

Think of a bath, when you jump in, the water feels warm because it’s heating up your skin. UV light is kind of like that: it goes through your skin and warms up something inside you called cells, which are tiny parts of your body. This can help your skin get healthier, but too much UV light can also make it feel a little sore or even burn, just like getting too hot in the bath.

You might know that the sun helps plants grow, and UV light is part of that process too! It’s used in some toys and inventions, like special lamps that help you see things better or make your skin glow. So even though you can’t see it, ultraviolet light plays an important role in many parts of life, from helping your skin to growing plants!