Old flourascents lights.

Cuhulin-

You may be referring to fluorescent lamps that emit a lot of ultraviolet energy. Some materials light up when lit by ultraviolet light, which is how the lamps work to begin with.

At one time, there were ultraviolet fluorescent tubes available called "black lights", that had almost no visible light. As far as I know, these lamps were made in common sizes that worked in existing fixtures.

These lamps may have been intended for industrial and medical applications, but were adopted for use in night clubs and parties because of the neat effect they produced.

If you intend to experiment with black lights, be careful. Even though you can't see ultraviolet light, it can damage your vision.

Fred

IMHO more likely not fluorescents that caused things to change colour in the street, but discharge lamps of some sort - low pressure sodium, etc. These produce a very narrow spike of light frequency wise which confuses the 'eyes'. The snag with this is the perceived colour (of the item being lit) changes by the individual, so what may appear to be an 'nice' change to some may not to others.

Modern high pressure sodium lighting produces a broader spectrum of light so doesn't exhibit this tendency so much.

fluorescent vertical

Fluorescent and mercury-vapor lamps do not have a continuous spectrum, and their color temperature does not match that of either daylight or household tungsten lamps. So colors will change under them.

Yes, it is. I didn't have time to go into excruciating detail about modern photographic fluorescents, color-rendering index, etc.

Cut me a break. Please.

I almost got involved there, but bit my tongue instead .... :-)

Arfa

I have a small hand held black light around here somewhere, I bought it at the Goodwill store about fifteen years ago, it works too.It would take me forever to find it though.

About twenty years ago, I was watching a tv program about germs on kitchen countertops and things.They cleaned off a kitchen countertop real good with household detergent.Then they turned off the lights and turned that black light on and they moved that black light around real close over the countertop.It was amazing to see there were still a lot of germs on top of that kitchen countertop.

I think stores which sell scientific thingys also sell black lights. cuhulin

The power of advertising. ;-)