This page is a list of sources of light. It includes both natural and artificial sources, and both processes and devices.

Natural

• Astronomical objects
  • Stars
  • Star clusters
  • Galaxies
  • Nebulae
• Bioluminescence
  • Fireflies
  • Aequorea victoria jellyfish
  • Antarctic krill
  • Lux operon
• Lightning
• Auroras
• Sunlight
  • Skylight
  • Moonlight
• Triboluminescence

Direct chemical

• Chemoluminescence (Lightsticks)
• Fluorescence
• Phosphorescence

Combustion-based

• Acetylene/Carbide lamps
• Betty lamp
• Butter lamp
• Candles
• Fire
• Gas lighting
• Kerosene lamps
• Lanterns
• Oil lamps
• Rushlights
• Safety lamps
  • Davy lamps
  • Geordie lamps
• Torches

Electric

Arc lamps

• Yablochkov candles

Incandescent lamps

• Carbon button lamp
• Conventional incandescent light bulbs
  • Flashlight
• Globar
• Limelights
• Nernst lamp

Electroluminescent (EL) lamps

• Light-emitting diodes
  • Organic light-emitting diodes
  • Polymer light-emitting diodes
  • Solid-state lighting

Gas discharge lamps

• Fluorescent lamps
  • Black light
• Inductive lighting
• Hollow cathode lamp
• Neon and argon lamps
• Plasma lamps
• Xenon flash lamps

High-intensity discharge lamps

• Ceramic discharge metal halide lamps
• Hydrargyrum medium-arc iodide (HMI) lamps
• Mercury-vapor lamps
• Metal halide lamps
• Sodium vapor lamps
• Xenon arc lamps

Nuclear

• Radioluminescent paint (formerly used on watch and clock dials)
• Self-powered lighting

Other

• Blackbody radiation
• Cherenkov radiation
• Fusor
• Lasers
• Sonoluminescence
• Sulfur lamp
• Synchrotron light

Light | Technology-related lists