Editing Sunlight (section)

==Cultural aspects==
[[File:Edouard Manet - Luncheon on the Grass - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|left|[[Édouard Manet]]: ''[[Le déjeuner sur l'herbe]]'' (1862–63)]]
The effect of sunlight is relevant to [[painting]], evidenced for instance in works of [[Édouard Manet]] and [[Claude Monet]] on outdoor scenes and landscapes.
[[File:Winter Sunshine.jpg|thumb|''Téli verőfény'' ("Winter Sunshine") by [[László Mednyánszky]], early 20th century]]
Many people find direct sunlight to be too [[brightness|bright]] for comfort; indeed, looking directly at the Sun can cause long-term vision damage.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chawda |first1=Dishita |last2=Shinde |first2=Pranaykumar |date=2022-10-29 |title=Effects of Solar Radiation on the Eyes |journal=Cureus |volume=14 |issue=10 |pages=e30857 |language=en |doi=10.7759/cureus.30857 |doi-access=free |issn=2168-8184 |pmc=9709587 |pmid=36465785}}</ref> To compensate for the brightness of sunlight, many people wear [[sunglasses]]. [[Automobile|Cars]], many [[helmet]]s and [[cap]]s are equipped with [[visor]]s to block the Sun from direct vision when the Sun is at a low angle. Sunshine is often blocked from entering buildings through the use of [[wall]]s, [[window blind]]s, [[awning]]s, [[Window shutter|shutters]], [[curtain]]s, or nearby [[shade tree]]s. Sunshine exposure is [[Health effects of sunlight exposure|needed biologically]] for the production of [[Vitamin D]] in the skin, a vital compound needed to make strong bone and muscle in the body.

In many world religions, such as [[Hinduism]], the Sun [[Surya|is considered to be a god]], as it is the source of life and energy on Earth. The Sun was also [[Ra|considered to be a god]] in [[Ancient Egypt]].

===Sunbathing===<!-- This section is linked from [[Naturism]] -->
{{Main|Sun tanning}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2015}}
[[File:YBF 2010 ja Bikini Bar.jpg|thumb|upright|Sun bathers in Finland]]
Sunbathing is a popular [[leisure]] activity in which a person sits or lies in direct sunshine. People often sunbathe in comfortable places where there is ample sunlight. Some common places for sunbathing include [[beach]]es, open air [[swimming pool]]s, [[park]]s, [[garden]]s, and [[sidewalk cafe]]s. Sunbathers typically wear limited amounts of clothing or some simply go [[Nudity|nude]]. For some, an alternative to sunbathing is the use of a [[Tanning bed|sunbed]] that generates [[ultraviolet]] light and can be used indoors regardless of weather conditions. Tanning beds have been banned in a number of states in the world.

For many people with light skin, one purpose for sunbathing is to darken one's [[Human skin color|skin color]] (get a sun tan), as this is considered in some cultures to be attractive, associated with outdoor activity, [[Vacation|vacations/holidays]], and health. Some people prefer [[Naturism|naked]] sunbathing so that an "all-over" or "even" tan can be obtained, sometimes as part of a specific lifestyle.

Controlled [[heliotherapy]], or sunbathing, has been used as a treatment for [[psoriasis]]<ref>{{Citation |last=Nguyen |first=Tien V. |title=Ultraviolet Therapy for Psoriasis |date=2014 |work=Advances in Psoriasis |pages=91–110 |editor-last=Weinberg |editor-first=Jeffrey M. |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4471-4432-8_8 |access-date=2025-04-23 |place=London |publisher=Springer London |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-1-4471-4432-8_8 |isbn=978-1-4471-4431-1 |last2=Koo |first2=John Y. M. |editor2-last=Lebwohl |editor2-first=Mark}}</ref> and other maladies.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Alora |first=M. B. T. |last2=Fitzpatrick |first2=T. B. |last3=Taylor |first3=C. R. |date=1997-10-12 |title=Total body heliotherapy |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0781.1997.tb00225.x |journal=Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine |language=en |volume=13 |issue=5-6 |pages=178–180 |doi=10.1111/j.1600-0781.1997.tb00225.x |issn=0905-4383}}</ref>

Skin tanning is achieved by an increase in the dark pigment inside skin cells called [[melanocyte]]s, and is an automatic response mechanism of the body to sufficient exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the Sun or from artificial sunlamps.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ahmad |first=Shamim I. |title=Ultraviolet Light in Human Health, Diseases and Environment |date=2017 |publisher=Springer International Publishing AG |isbn=978-3-319-56017-5 |series=Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology |location=Cham}}</ref> Thus, the tan gradually disappears with time, when one is no longer exposed to these sources.