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If we could see only X-rays, we could see things that either emit X-rays or
halt their transmission. Our eyes would be like the X-ray film
used in hospitals. When you get an X-ray taken at the hospital, X-ray
sensitive film is put on one side of your body, and X-rays are shot through
you. Because your bones are dense and absorb more X-rays then your skin does,
dark silhouettes of your bones are left on the X-ray film while your skin
appears transparent.
When the Sun shines on us at a certain angle, our shadow is projected onto the ground. Similarly, when X-ray light shines on us, it goes through our skin, but allows shadows of our bones to be projected onto and captured by film. To the right is the first X-ray image ever taken. Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, who discovered X-rays in 1895, took this X-ray of his wife's hand. The shadows of her finger bones and wedding ring are all visible. |
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