How to Use near-infrared in a Sentence

near-infrared

adjective
  • The stars, captured in near-infrared light, are known as Herbig-Haro 46/47 and are buried in a disk of gas and dust.
    Julia Musto, Fox News, 8 Aug. 2023
  • Plus, while red, blue, and near-infrared light therapy has been cleared by the FDA, other colors haven’t.
    Victoria Song, The Verge, 7 Jan. 2025
  • This uses a near-infrared light of 830nm wavelength, positioned over the person’s thumb.
    Andrew Williams, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
  • The craft is equipped with a pair of cameras that can photograph light in both the visible spectrum and in near-infrared wavelengths the human eye can’t see on its own.
    Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023
  • In contrast, the new method used a near-infrared laser with a peak power of approximately 10 gigawatts.
    IEEE Spectrum, 7 Apr. 2023
  • Its 808 nm near-infrared light sends cold lasers into the skin to achieve this goal—hence no risk of heat damage, unlike most alternative options.
    Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 12 May 2025
  • This mission will survey the sky in near-infrared light, which is a type of light that is invisible to the naked eye but that special instruments can detect.
    Zhenbo Wang, Discover Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024
  • The near-infrared image also shows Saturn more as a hazy planet, instead of the usual striped(Opens in a new window) appearance.
    Michael Kan, PCMAG, 30 June 2023
  • The James Webb Space Telescope has captured the activity of a pair of forming young stars in high-resolution near-infrared light.
    Julia Musto, Fox News, 26 July 2023
  • Some newer machines, Tour told me, could be activated with an even weaker light, known as near-infrared.
    Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 13 June 2024
  • After traveling for many billions of years, light shifts into the near-infrared or infrared wavelengths, which are the wavelengths the JWST is designed to see.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Observing in the near-infrared spectrum (wavelengths of light that are a bit longer than our eyes can detect), JWST revealed hundreds of newborn stars.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2023
  • Locating the Lyman break requires imaging with with a spectrograph, which can sample the full spectrum of near-infrared light.
    Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 31 July 2024
  • Locating the Lyman break requires imaging with a spectrograph, which can sample the full spectrum of near-infrared light.
    John Timmer, Ars Technica, 31 July 2024
  • That’s partly because its spectra in starlight cannot be seen in the optical wavelength, but only in the near-infrared or the ultraviolet.
    Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
  • The Hubble Space Telescope had photographed the same area, capturing brown, almost opaque appendages, but Webb’s near-infrared camera pierced the clouds and revealed stars within them.
    Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2023
  • The swap expanded the telescope's vision into near-infrared wavelengths.
    Josh Dinner, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2025
  • When completed, the ELT will be the world's largest optical and near-infrared observatory.
    Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 12 May 2025
  • The researchers extended the laser comb’s frequency range from the near-infrared region of the spectrum into the mid-infrared part—where molecules absorb light two to three times more strongly.
    Starre Vartan, Scientific American, 12 May 2023
  • An image stitched together from multiple images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope in near-infrared light.
    Georgina Torbet, Ars Technica, 10 June 2024
  • Binder’s cold laser therapy service is the use of specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal.
    Dasia Williams, Charlotte Observer, 12 July 2024
  • Although humans can't see it, artist Scott Kildall uses an infrared sensor to translate near-infrared light into sound.
    Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 4 June 2024
  • The reason is because the space telescope imaged the planet in near-infrared light, which can better capture dimmer objects compared to the visible light spectrum.
    Michael Kan, PCMAG, 30 June 2023
  • Owen, now based at the University of Western Ontario, recently published a study using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, which shines a light through the skull.
    Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
  • The mask works by emitting red and near-infrared light, which penetrates deeply into the skin to stimulate collagen production and improve texture.
    Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 26 Nov. 2024
  • The latest snapshot makes use of the Webb’s near-infrared camera, which captured gas, dust and molecules radiating at warmer temperatures.
    Katrina Miller, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023
  • The telescope observes wavelengths of light ranging from ultraviolet to near-infrared from Saturn.
    Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Jan. 2024
  • The company makes lidar, a key ingredient in autonomous driving that uses near-infrared light to detect the shapes and distances of objects.
    Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 3 May 2024
  • The telescope’s ability to observe the universe in different wavelengths of infrared light, such as near-infrared and mid-infrared, showcases the stars, gas and dust within the intricate structure of each galaxy.
    Aj Willingham, CNN, 3 Feb. 2024
  • Other devices emit near-infrared light, around 700 or more nanometers, which can promote wound healing and reduce chronic inflammation, Dr. Sanan said.
    Melinda Wenner Moyer, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'near-infrared.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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