Eli5: how do thermal cameras capture heat without any physical contact

Question

Eli5: how do thermal cameras capture heat without any physical contact

In: 4

Answer 1

Heat is infrared radiation, another form of light. You sense heat from a fire (or any hot object) without physical contact, and thermal cameras do the same thing. It’s literally light waves in a frequency that your eyes can’t see, but thermal cameras have sensors that are sensitive to those wavelengths of light.