Invented by Funky Love Bunny, Spectrum Degrees (°S) is a new colour measurement system created as part of Universal Colour Theory. It defines hue using the physical structure of light itself, not digital codes or pigment mixes
Images below (Straight & Circular) both contain 360 increments of hue as best as I could represent on a screen, but are only very rough approximations of the wavelength nm (λ)Each Spectrum Degree (°S) corresponds directly to 1 nanometre (nm) of the physical wavelength of a light wave in the visible spectrum.
The scale spans from 380 nm to 739 nm, matching the full range of typical human vision, & maps this onto a clean 360° circular system or a band of 360 stripes of hue degrees.
Spectrum Degrees exist as single wavelengths of light, not mixed tones, tints, or shades.Example: 560 nm — the most sensitive peak point of human vision — is cleanly & neatly defined as 180° S, the midpoint of visible hue.
The visible spectrum covers a 360 nm range:
from 380 nm (violet) to 739 nm (red)
That range is divided into 360 equal steps
Each 1°S step = 1 nanometre
This system allows you to assign a simple, universal value to any spectral hue:
1°S = 380 nm — deep violet
Start of the human visible light spectrum
180°S = 560 nm — yellow-green
The most sensitive peak point of human vision (560 nm) is cleanly & neatly defined as 180°S, the midpoint of visible hue as well as a circle.
360°S = 739 nm — deep red
End of the human visible light spectrum
To convert from Spectrum Degrees (°S) to wavelength (λ):
Example: Spectrum Degrees = 136°S → λ = 379 + 136°S = 515 nm
To convert from wavelength (λ) to Spectrum Degrees (°S):
Example: Wavelength = 510 nm → °S = 510 − 379 = 131°S
Spectrum Degrees are not an opinion, code, or metaphor. They are a direct scale of real light wavelengths — a measurable, circular map of pure hue. Not all colours can be placed on this scale. But every true visible hue can
1 ⇄ 70 °S → Violet
71 ⇄ 115 °S → Blue
116 ⇄ 130 °S → Cyan
131 ⇄ 185 °S → Green
186 ⇄ 210 °S → Yellow
211 ⇄ 240 °S → Orange
241 ⇄ 360 °S → Red
Spectrum Degrees measure pure spectral hues — colours that exist as single wavelengths of light.
This scale does not apply to mixed colours, such as:
Pinks, browns, or greys, Tints (hue + white), Shades (hue + black) & Non-spectral blends like magenta or turquoise
Those colours are combinations of multiple wavelengths.
Spectrum Degrees instead give us a way to measure the pure hue component within those blends — the structural backbone of all colour.
Lighting control: Adjust LED strips to 215°S for rich warm ambers, or 150°S for balanced greens
Photography & colour grading: Reference light temperature in physical terms — “This shot leans too far toward 115°S, shift it warmer by 10°”
Stage & event design: Match light accents precisely across setups — “The uplights are set to 155°S, shift all side lighting to within 5° of that”
Here I have presented a basic version of Spectrum Degrees, however I am already visualising a Pro version that will more align with the Octagonal colour model of UCT. Consisting of the long sides of 4 right angle triangles divided into 90º segments totalling 360º & when I complete the work, it will be added to this site. So for the time being the basic Spectrum Degrees is presented in both a circular format of 360 radial degrees as well as a linear format of a band of 360 stripes of hue degrees