Why everything with a temperature above absolute zero glows
In short: You can't see it, but your surroundings are constantly radiating energy. This video explains how infrared cameras capture the invisible light of heat to map the thermal world.
Infrared imaging, also known as thermography, allows us to see and measure thermal energy emitted by objects. While human eyes are limited to the visible spectrum, infrared light consists of wavelengths that are too long for our biology to detect, yet they represent the energy we perceive as heat.
A fundamental principle of this technology is that every object with a temperature above absolute zero emits infrared radiation. This means that even objects we consider 'cold,' such as ice cubes, are still actively emitting heat in the infrared spectrum.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: How infrared imaging camera work
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