Scandium Microsun bulb
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3D3DMicrosun bulb.
The Microsun company sells table and floor lamps that use a small 68W metal halide lamp to create a lot of light, about as much as a 300W incandescent lamp would. These bulbs contain scandium made by friends of mine at a secretive company. The scandium contributes a large number of spectral emission lines to the light, giving it a pleasant sun-like appearance. The one problem is that metal halide bulbs take several minutes to come up to full brightness, not something the average person expects of their table lamp.

But it really is very nice light. I've gotten to the point that I can't stand dingy old yellow incandescent light anymore. Daylight spectrum compact fluorescent bulbs are nice, and these metal halide lights are as good or better than those. It will be interesting to see how good the spectral quality of the first practical home lighting LEDs is.

Source: Microsun
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 8 February, 2009
Text Updated: 8 February, 2009
Price: $28
Size: 6"
Purity: <2%
Scandium