Research

Case Study: Reshaping Reality on the Salzburg Stage — The Artistry of SOX Lighting Design
Low-Pressure Sodium lighting is finding new life on Salzburg’s stages, where Stefan Ebner uses its monochromatic effect and Glow Object electronic ballasts in professional theatrical productions. Read more...
Why Are Low-Pressure Sodium Lamps Used to Measure Mechanical Seal Flatness?
Why Are Low-Pressure Sodium Lamps Used to Measure Mechanical Seal Flatness? When you think about low-pressure sodium lamps, street lighting is probably the first application that comes to mind. Low-pressure sodium (LPS) lamps are famous for their distinctive yellow-orange light and extremely narrow spectral output around the sodium D-lines near 589 nm. But there is another, much less obvious application: precision flatness measurement. A recent customer application provided an interesting real-world example. A mechanical seal manufacturer in Chile uses a SPEEDFAM CHECKLITE system for precision flatness inspection of mechanical seal... Read more...
Low-Pressure Sodium Lamps in Semiconductor Manufacturing: Why 589 nm Light Still Matters
Low-Pressure Sodium Lamps in Semiconductor Manufacturing: Why 589 nm Light Still Matters When most people think about semiconductor manufacturing, they think about advanced lithography, plasma etching, deposition, cleanrooms, and sophisticated automated inspection systems. Few people would expect to find a low-pressure sodium lamp in that environment. Yet low-pressure sodium (LPS) lighting has a surprisingly interesting connection to precision manufacturing and optical inspection. Recently, Glow Object® received orders for low-pressure sodium lamps from companies operating in the semiconductor industry, including Lam Research and FM Industries — and those purchases raised an... Read more...
Low Pressure Sodium Lamps for Optical Inspection: Why 589 nm Monochromatic Light Matters
Low pressure sodium (LPS) lamps produce nearly monochromatic 589 nm light that makes optical interference patterns significantly easier to observe — making them a practical light source for Newton's rings inspection, optical flatness measurement, LCD panel defect detection, and precision optical component quality control. Read more...
Light Pollution & Dark Sky Impact
Explore how artificial light at night affects dark skies, skyglow, astronomy, wildlife, and ecosystems—and why spectrum, shielding, intensity, and timing matter. Read more...
Why LPS Can Improve Roadway Safety?
Discover why Low Pressure Sodium (LPS) lighting remains a vital engineering benchmark for modern roadway safety. Explore the vision science behind minimizing disability glare, eliminating the hazardous "Zebra Effect" through superior spatial uniformity, and protecting transient dark adaptation for drivers. Learn how broad surface emitters deliver uniform, glare-free night visibility that supports human-centric municipal infrastructure and elder-friendly traffic safety standards. Read more...
Why Luminance Density is Import to Visual Comfort？
Learn why luminance—not lumens alone—is one of the most important factors affecting glare, visual comfort, and nighttime visibility. Discover how the low-luminance surface emission of Low Pressure Sodium (LPS) lighting provides a softer and more comfortable visual experience. Read more...
LPS Spectral Power Distribution (SPD) Explained
Low Pressure Sodium (LPS) lighting features a unique single-peak spectral power distribution centered at 589 nm, making it one of the most spectrally efficient light sources ever developed. Read more...
Why LPS Leads in Efficiency & Energy Conversion？
Low Pressure Sodium (LPS) lighting achieves extremely high energy efficiency through 589 nm monochromatic emission, aligning with human visual sensitivity and maximizing useful light output per watt. Read more...
LPS vs LED vs HPS vs MH
An engineering comparison of outdoor lighting infrastructure: LPS, LED, HPS, and MH. Analyze how distinct spectral power distributions, blue-light scattering, and color rendering capabilities affect municipal deployment. Read more...
Ketchikan, Alaska — Community LPS Street Lighting Pilot
In April 2026, the city of Ketchikan, Alaska replaced harsh cool-white LED streetlights with soft amber Low Pressure Sodium (LPS) lighting supplied by Glow Object. Community feedback was overwhelmingly positive — residents reported reduced glare, improved nighttime comfort, and better sleep. This pilot demonstrates how low-blue-spectrum lighting can transform residential street environments. Read more...
Circadian Integrity and the Science of Non-Melanopic Lighting Systems
Delve into the advanced photobiology of nighttime illumination and its impact on human health. This technical white paper examines the CIE S 026/E:2018 standard and metrics like Melanopic Equivalent Daylight Illuminance (m-EDI) to quantify how light spectral power distributions interact with intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). Discover the physics of non-melanopic lighting systems, the zero-melanopic footprint of monochromatic 589 nm low-pressure sodium technology, and engineering strategies to eliminate light-induced sympathetic nervous system strain while preserving systemic circadian integrity. Read more...
How Nocturnal Blue Light Exposure Impacts Human Physiology and Sleep Architecture
Explore the chronobiology behind how nocturnal blue light exposure impacts human health. This article breaks down the neural pathways from intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), explaining how short-wavelength light suppresses melatonin, disrupts sleep architecture, triggers cortisol release, and induces autonomic nervous system strain. Learn how human-centric lighting (HCL) and non-melanopic spectral design offer critical solutions for circadian integrity. Read more...
Low Pressure Sodium Lighting and Its Benefits for Sea Turtle Conservation
Learn how Low Pressure Sodium (LPS/SOX) lighting can help reduce the potential impact of artificial light on sea turtle nesting beaches through its narrow 589 nm amber spectrum and virtually zero blue light. Read more...
What We Lost When We Replaced Low-Pressure Sodium with LED Streetlights
What changed when cities replaced Low Pressure Sodium (LPS/SOX) streetlights with LED? Explore the differences in spectrum, efficiency, skyglow, visual comfort, ecological impact, and color rendering. Read more...