Short Waves, Long Waves is the first of a set of three educational films about the new European Space Agency's science missions Herschel and Planck, recently launched. In Short Waves, Long Waves Dominique Proust, astrophysicist at the Paris Observatory, explains the electromagnetic spectrum. The experiment that lead to the discovery of Infrared Radiation by William Herschel in 1800 is repeated. The film features organ music from William Herschel and performed by Dominique, as he draws a parallel between the electromagnetic and the acoustic spectrum. Artist Rosário Gomes uses oil paint to illustrate the spectrum.

Production: The educational DVD with all three films was produced by Lightcurve Films for the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German 'Wissenschaft in der Schule'. It was included in a special educational issue of the Sterne und Weltraum magazine about the Herschel and Planck missions. © ESA 2008; publication authorised by ESA.