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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/astro-gamma-shortest-wavelength

Which kind of light has the shortest wavelength, under 0.01 nanometer?

Gamma rays, the most energetic end of the spectrum.

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  1. Gamma rays ✔
  2. X-rays
  3. Radio waves

Why: The spectrum runs from long radio waves to short gamma rays. Shorter wavelength means more energy per photon, so gamma rays come from the most violent events, like dying stars.

Huh, didn't know that: Gamma rays got their name because they were the third kind of radiation found coming from radioactive atoms.

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Why did the gamma ray get kicked out of the party? It was way too energetic.
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References

Answer: Gamma rays. The spectrum runs from long radio waves to short gamma rays. Shorter wavelength means more energy per photon, so gamma rays come from the most violent events, like dying stars.

  1. OpenStax Astronomy 2e, 5.2 The Electromagnetic Spectrum openstax.org/books/astronomy-2e/pages/5-2-the-electromagnetic-spectrum
    Electromagnetic radiation with the shortest wavelengths, no longer than 0.01 nanometer, is categorized as gamma rays
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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