If you’ve ever used a microwave or a television remote, or had an X-ray, you have experienced a range of the electromagnetic spectrum! But what is the spectrum? According to Merriam-Webster, it is “the entire range of wavelengths or frequencies of electromagnetic radiation extending from gamma rays to the longest radio waves and including visible light.” That means scientists think of the electromagnetic spectrum as many types of light, only some that we can see with our eyes. We can detect others, like infrared light, which we feel as heat, and ultraviolet light, which can give us sunburns. Astronomers have created multiple types of telescopes that operate across the electromagnetic spectrum. Here are some of the largest:

• Radio: probably the most famous radio telescope observatory would be the Very Large Array (VLA) in Socorro County, New Mexico. This set of 25-meter radio telescopes was featured in the 1997 movie Contact. Astronomers use these telescopes to observe protoplanetary disks and black holes. Radio telescopes can also help study microwaves.

• Infrared: The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) operates in the infrared, allowing astronomers to see nebulae and some of the earliest galaxies formed nearly 300 million years after the Big Bang, which dense dust clouds would otherwise obscure. An excellent example is the Pillars of Creation located in the Eagle Nebula.

• Visible: While it does have some near-infrared and ultraviolet capabilities, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has primarily operated in the visible light spectrum for the last 35 years. With over 1.6 million observations made, HST has played an integral role in how we view the universe.

• X-ray: Chandra X-ray Observatory was designed to detect emissions from the hottest parts of our universe, like exploding stars. X-rays help us better understand the composition of deep space objects, highlighting areas unseen by visible light and infrared telescopes.

Together these telescopes can give us a more complete picture of our universe. This image of the Crab Nebula combines data from five different telescopes: The VLA (radio) in red; Spitzer Space Telescope (infrared) in yellow; Hubble Space Telescope (visible) in green; XMM-Newton (ultraviolet) in blue; and Chandra X-ray Observatory (X-ray) in purple. Even though we can’t see these other wavelengths with our eyes, astronomers use representational color to show light that our eyes cannot see.