Space and radiation
Blackbody Peak Wavelength Calculator
An ideal blackbody emits a continuous spectrum whose peak shifts toward shorter wavelengths as temperature rises. Enter an absolute temperature to calculate the wavelength peak from Wien’s displacement law.
Calculate the wavelength peak
Hotter blackbodies peak at shorter wavelengths
Because λmax is inversely proportional to absolute temperature, doubling temperature halves the peak wavelength. Objects near room temperature peak in the infrared, while much hotter sources can peak in visible or shorter-wavelength regions.
A peak wavelength is not the only wavelength emitted
A blackbody emits over a broad spectrum. Wien’s law identifies the wavelength of maximum spectral radiance in the wavelength representation; it does not mean the object emits only at that wavelength.
Real stars and surfaces are not perfect blackbodies
Blackbody models are useful first approximations for many thermal-radiation problems. Real stellar atmospheres and engineered surfaces can depart from an ideal spectrum because of absorption, emission lines and wavelength-dependent emissivity.