Because ghosts are thought to use heat as energy, infrared cameras are a common ghost-hunting tool.
The Atlantic Paranormal Society, also known as TAPS, is a group of people dedicated to searching for verifiable proof that ghosts exist. TAPS is one of the more well-known paranormal groups, due to its exposure on the television show "Ghost Hunters." They use lots of equipment during the course of their investigations, including a FLIR infrared camera.
What is Infrared Light?
Infrared light is a type of light wave that is not visible to human eyes. Humans can detect it, however, because it registers as heat. Something that is warm (like a floor furnace) is giving off infrared light, and the warmer the object is, the more infrared light it emits. Sometimes things that are warm also give off visible light, but that does not mean it is some type of visible infrared -- it is giving off both infrared light as well as light in the visible spectrum.
How Infrared Cameras Work
Infrared light waves can be detected with the right technology. Many remote controls for televisions and DVD players work using infrared light to send a signal. Some regular cameras can even detect infrared light -- they simply have a wider range of vision than human eyes. Infrared cameras are tuned to see only infrared light; they convert infrared light waves into an electronic signal that can be displayed within the range of human vision.
FLIR Infrared Camera
The FLIR uses color to indicate the surface temperature of all of the objects in an image; the hotter the object is, the brighter it will appear on the display. It can measure from 32 to 482 degrees Fahrenheit, or zero to 250 degrees Celsius. It is, unfortunately, one of the priciest items that TAPS uses, at about $1,200, as of July 2011.
Why Infrared?
The main reason to use infrared cameras is that infrared cameras work in total darkness. Many TAPS investigations take place in near or complete dark conditions, and infrared cameras can guide the investigators around in dark conditions. The secondary reason is that temperature changes are often part of what TAPS is looking for when they are investigating a house for ghost activity. Temperature changes (mostly cold spots) are thought to be created by spirits who are harvesting energy of any kind in an attempt to communicate.
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