Synchrotron radiation was observed at almost the same time that laser beams were first developed, about 50 years ago. Both laser beams and synchrotron radiation are artificial light sources, lasers being used as a source of light from infrared to ultraviolet ranges of the light spectrum, and synchrotron radiation as a source for the vacuum ultraviolet and X-ray range. Synchrotron radiation, which is created by accelerating electrons and changing their direction with a strong magnetic field, is high-energy light that covers a wide range of wavelengths. However, it can be created only in a synchrotron, a very large-scale facility, which is where the name of this light originated. As such, it is used mostly in research conducted at experimental facilities.