In most of these pictures, the source is at the left-hand edge. The photographs have been sized and aligned so that the wavelengths are placed at the same horizontal position.

Because the spectra are not very bright, these are frequently somewhat underexposed. This causes the blending of colors that is supposed to occur to be suppressed, so that the white light spectrum appears as three solid bands of blue, green, and red (compare the top picture with the incandescent light photograph) blue, green, and red (the incandescent light photograph should look more like the top picture). Thus the colors in these pictures are not accurate; but the pattern of brightnesses and darknesses are correct.

Incandescent Types (a broad continuum)
	This is a drawing of a spectrum.
	photograph of an incandescent light source (see notes about the color rendition) More about this
	incandescent with neodymium in the glass More
Mercury arc types
	very low pressure mercury vapor (yellow line barely visible)
	low pressure mercury street light More
	mercury + other elements, to give some red emission (street light)
	"metal halide" street light
	"xenon" headlight (same as metal halide) More
	"halophosphor" fluorescent (older type, still in widespread use) More
	triphosphor fluorescent (newer type, compact fluorescent) More
Other spectra
	high pressure sodium (amber-colored street light) More
	neon (often used in signs)
	hydrogen More
	helium More
	carbon dioxide
	sodium and mercury spectra More
Examples (some of these have been shifted to the right, so that the whole source is visible)
	moon (reflected light of the sun -- an incandescent source)
	a compact fluorescent lamp, seen through a diffraction grating We should use a spectroscope on this one
	A sign (the picture is turned on its side): in neon, it says "OPEN," and there is a mercury vapor border
	metal-halide and high pressure sodium street lights, side by side More
	high pressure sodium street light, seen through a diffraction grating
	metal halide street light, seen through a diffraction grating