The following chart shows the relative sensitivity of human vision to light of a range of wavelengths for both daylight adapted (photopic) vision and dark adapted (scotopic) vision. The chart was constructed in Quattro Pro using equations given at the web page Radiometry and photometry in astronomy by Paul Schlyter, Stockholm, Sweden. The web page can be found at http://www.stjarnhimlen.se/comp/radfaq.html or at http://hem.passagen.se/pausch/comp/radfaq.html Mr. Schlyter claims the equations are a good approximation to empirical data.
The equations are:
The photopic values apply when
illumination is above 3cd/m2. The scotopic values apply when
illumination is below 3 cd/m2. Wavelength (lambda) is in nanometers.
Here is a link to a whole web book
about visual perception, by Peter K. Kaiser at York University, Toronto, Canada.
http://www.yorku.ca/eye/index1.htm
This web page maintained by
Mark D. Holm
mdholm@telerama.com
Updated January 6, 2005