Strobe light

A strobe light (Strobe) is a device used to produces regular flashes of very intense white light and is closely related to a common camera flash. There most common use is in nightclubs and as a theatrical effect, most notably to simulate lightning. The most apparent effect of strobe lights in a nightclub setting is the apparent slowing of motion due to aliasing.

Related Topics:
Nightclubs - Aliasing

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A typical commercial strobe will have a flash energy in the region of 10 to 150 J, and discharge times as short as a few milliseconds, often resulting in a flash wattage of several KW. Larger strobes can also be used in a ?continuous? mode where they are an extremely intense source of illumination. Strobes commonly use a Xenon flash lamp which has a complex spectrum and a color temperature of approximately 5600 K, in order to get colored light from a strobe color gels must be employed.

Related Topics:
Xenon flash lamp - Color temperature - Color gels

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The widespread use of strobe lights for both scientific and photographic purposes is commonly attributed to Harold Edgerton and his pioneering work in using strobes and high speed photography to study everyday objects.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~