To celebrate the International Year of Light, a year-long initiative in 2015 endorsed by the United Nations, a new exhibit of spectacular images is being unveiled. This collection, called “Light: Beyond the Bulb”, will allow individuals and organizations around the globe to freely host their own exhibit.
“Light: Beyond the Bulb” (LBTB) is an open-source international exhibition program that showcases the incredible variety of light-based science being conducted today. Accompanied by brief and informative captions, the images in the collection include examples from across the electromagnetic spectrum, across different scientific disciplines, and across technological platforms.
This is the latest incarnation of a “public science” project being led by the same team that created the “From Earth to the Universe” (FETTU) project for the International Year of Astronomy 2009, and others.

Kimberly Arcand of the Chandra X-ray Center who is one of the leads of LBTB comments:
Through the incredible work of organizers around the world, FETTU appeared in over 1,000 locations across the globe. We hope that many people will also be interested in hosting an exhibit that marks the wonders of light in all of its forms.

LBTB is being made possible by a collaboration between the Chandra X-ray Center that runs science and operations for NASA`s Chandra X-ray Observatory and SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. Additional support is being provided by the International Astronomical Union, which recognizes LBTB as one of its cornerstone projects for IYL 2015.
There are currently dozens of LBTB exhibits planned in countries from the United States to the United Kingdom to Brazil. There are many ways that interested individuals and organizations can become involved with LBTB and host or enable an exhibit. To learn more about the possibilities, visit the section of the LBTB website that describes these options: http://lightexhibit.org/howtoexhibit.html

The Opening Ceremony of the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies took place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on January 19 and 20, 2015. A version of the LBTB was on display during this event to help kick off this commemorative year.

About Light: Beyond the Bulb
Together with SPIE (the international society for optics and photonics), the Chandra X-ray Center/Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory are leading Light: Beyond the Bulb for the International Year of Light 2015 (IYL2015). Light: Beyond the Bulb is a cornerstone project for the International Astronomical Union. IYL2015 was declared by the United Nations and is supported by UNESCO.

About IYL 2015
The International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies (IYL 2015) is a global initiative adopted by the United Nations (A/RES/68/221) to raise awareness of how optical technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to worldwide challenges in energy, education, agriculture, communications and health. With UNESCO as lead agency, IYL 2015 programs will promote improved public and political understanding of the central role of light in the modern world while also celebrating noteworthy anniversaries in 2015—from the first studies of optics 1,000 years ago to discoveries in optical communications that power the Internet today. The IYL Global Secretariat is located at the Abdus Salam International Centre of Theoretical Physics (ICTP).
The Founding Partners of IYL 2015 are the American Institute of Physics (AIP), the American Physical Society (APS), the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft (DPG), the European Physical Society (EPS), the Abdus Salam International Centre of Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the IEEE Photonics Society (IPS), the Institute of Physics (IOP), Light: Science and Applications, the lightsources.org International Network, 1001 Inventions, The Optical Society (OSA) and the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE).
Patron Sponsors include Bosca, the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), Royal Philips Lighting, Thorlabs and UL.