Magnitude (light intensity)
This is a compilation of luminous intensities of various orders of magnitude for comparison purposes. The information is often to be understood as “typical values”; the converted values are rounded. It should be noted that bundled light sources - in the solid angle of the light beam - can achieve much greater light intensities than sources that radiate light in all directions.
The basic unit for luminous intensity in the international system of units is 1 candela ( unit symbol cd ).
Up to a candela
- 2.4 x 10 -16 cd - a light source, a photon of frequency 5.4 × 10 14 Hz (green yellow light) per second and steradian emits
- 3 · 10 −7 cd = 300 ncd - dial of a clock with luminous paint in the dark
- 1 · 10 −5 cd = 10 µcd - Superluminova watch dials in the dark
- 1 · 10 −2 cd = 10 mcd - fireflies
- 1 · 10 −2 - 5 · 10 −2 cd = 10 to 50 mcd - normal light emitting diodes
- 1 · 10 0 cd = 1 cd - candle flame
Between 1 and 1000 candela
- 1 · 10 1 cd = 10 cd - obstacle lighting at aviation obstacles , minimum value
- 5.8 x 10 1 cd = 58 cd - incandescent lamp , 60 W
- up to 6 · 10 1 cd = up to 60 cd - very bright light- emitting diodes , so-called super emitters
- 1 · 10 2 cd = 100 cd - mandatory bicycle lighting in Austria
- 1.1 · 10 2 cd = 110 cd - incandescent lamp , 100 W.
- 1.8 · 10 2 cd = 180 cd - fluorescent tube , 40 W
- 4 · 10 2 cd = 400 cd - daytime running lights according to ECE regulation No. 87, minimum value
- 4.3 · 10 2 cd = 430 cd - mercury vapor lamp , 125 W.
- 8 · 10 2 cd = 800 cd - electric arc , 250 W
Between 1000 and 10 15 candelas
- 1.6 · 10 3 cd = 1.6 kcd - arc lamp
- 2 · 10 3 cd = 2 kcd - hazard lights at aviation obstacles , minimum value
- 1 · 10 4 cd = 10 kcd - mercury vapor lamp, 2000 W
- 1.5 · 10 4 cd = 15 kcd - distress signal means hand torch red
- 4 · 10 4 cd - 7 · 10 4 cd = 40 to 70 kcd - high beam on high- speed trains
- 8 · 10 4 cd = 80 kcd - distress signal means parachute signal cartridge red
- 2.25 · 10 5 cd = 225 kcd - high beam on vehicles in traffic (maximum permissible value of the sum of all headlights)
- 5 · 10 5 cd = 500 kcd - beacon for seafaring
- 2 · 10 6 cd = 2 Mcd - beacon for aviation
- 4.5 · 10 6 cd = 4.5 Mcd - lighthouse camping
- 6-8 · 10 6 cd = 6-8 Mcd - stun grenade
- 3.5 · 10 7 cd = 35 Mcd - Helgoland lighthouse
- 2.7 · 10 9 cd = 2.7 Gcd - Turbinlite search light on some US American Douglas A-20s
- 4 · 10 10 cd = 40 Gcd - Luxor Sky Beam of the Luxor Hotel and Casino
More than 10 15 candelas (astronomical)
- 3 · 10 16 cd - moon , reflection in the direction of the sun
- 8 · 10 18 cd - Brown dwarf ε Indi Ba
- 4 · 10 22 cd - Red Dwarf Wolf 359
- 3 · 10 27 cd - sun
- 1 · 10 31 cd - Rigel
- 3 · 10 35 cd - Supernova 1987A
- 4 · 10 36 cd - Supernova S Andromedae
- 4 · 10 37 cd - Milky Way
- 8 · 10 39 cd - Quasar 3C 273
- 4 · 10 43 cd - brightest Hypernova GRB 080319B observed so far (in the direction of the jets)