by Chris Peterson » Thu Oct 04, 2012 5:04 pm
Ann wrote:I'd like a comment here. Should OIII emission be regarded as the perfect shade of cyan?
There is no consistent way to map wavelength (a physical parameter) to color (a physiological and perceptual phenomenon).
The OIII emission is not a perfect shade of cyan because there is no consistent physical definition of cyan. When we say that cyan is the absence of red, it simply means that in a tricolor light source consisting of components that we see (broadly) as red, green, and blue, taking away the red component leaves a color we choose to call cyan. Since different display devices will have different curves for their red, green, and blue components, they will also display "pure" cyan differently- just as they will display "pure" red, green, and blue differently.
The only way two light sources can be considered to have the same color is if they have the exact same spectral output over the entire visible range- something that almost never happens in practice.
BTW, in the eye, an OIII emission stimulates all three receptors- so it doesn't represent a complete absence of red at the detection level.
[quote="Ann"]I'd like a comment here. Should OIII emission be regarded as the perfect shade of cyan?[/quote]
There is no consistent way to map wavelength (a physical parameter) to color (a physiological and perceptual phenomenon).
The OIII emission is not a perfect shade of cyan because there is no consistent physical definition of cyan. When we say that cyan is the absence of red, it simply means that in a tricolor light source consisting of components that we see (broadly) as red, green, and blue, taking away the red component leaves a color we choose to call cyan. Since different display devices will have different curves for their red, green, and blue components, they will also display "pure" cyan differently- just as they will display "pure" red, green, and blue differently.
The only way two light sources can be considered to have the same color is if they have the exact same spectral output over the entire visible range- something that almost never happens in practice.
BTW, in the eye, an OIII emission stimulates all three receptors- so it doesn't represent a complete absence of red at the detection level.