Astrophysics (Index)About

K band

(K)
(atmospheric window centered around 2.2 microns, or 136 THz)

Within astronomy, the term K band refers to an atmospheric window within the near-infrared range centered on 2.2 microns (2190 nm) or 136 THz, and a photometric system band aimed at this range, e.g., with a full width at half maximum of 390 nm. In addition to infrared-specific telescopes, many optical telescopes can observe in this range. The letter is also used to indicate the magnitude of the signal observed through the filter, e.g., citing "K = 1.5".


The term K band also has other meanings outside astronomy and there are at least two K bands defined for radio communications (nowhere near the above infrared band).


(infrared,EMR,band,photometry)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K_band_(infrared)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K_band
https://www.chemeurope.com/en/encyclopedia/K_band.html
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1994MNRAS.266...65G/abstract
WaveLFreqPhoton
Energy
  
2.2μm136THz564meVK band

Referenced by pages:
astronomical survey
European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope (ESO VLT)
Gattini-IR
Gemini Observatory
Hawaii K-band Galaxy Survey
infrared (IR)
KMOS
Mimir
passband
Tully-Fisher relation (TFR)

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