Wien’s Law: Why Hotter Objects Glow Bluer

Wien’s Law links temperature to color: hotter objects glow at shorter, bluer wavelengths.
As heat rises, the glow shifts from red to orange, yellow, white, and then blue.
That’s why a blue star is hotter than a red star, even if both shine brightly.
The law is written as 𝜆max=𝑏T with 𝑏 being Wien’s constant.
It explains why heated metal first glows dull red, then white-hot as temperature climbs.
The Sun’s peak emission is in the green-yellow, which blends into white light to our eyes.
Cooler stars, like red giants, emit mostly longer wavelengths in the red and infrared.
Astronomers use Wien’s Law to estimate stellar surface temperatures from their color.
It also applies to everyday objects—like stove coils glowing red vs. blue flames in gas burners.
Wien’s Law shows that color is nature’s built-in thermometer for glowing objects.