Light sources

Light sources are items that produce light.

Usage
Torches can be placed on the top or sides of any solid block (including tree trunks, but excluding Wood Platforms) and on walls. They are removed by right-clicking or with a pickaxe. Pressing the T key while a stack of torches is selected will cause the character to toss a single torch a few tiles horizontally, after which it will fall straight down; this can be used to fling a light into caves and chasms.

Candles and Water Candles can only be placed on top of Wood Platforms, Tables, or Workbenches. They also can be removed by right-clicking or with a pickaxe.

Torches and Candles emit light of equal brightness while held. Neither emit light when wet. Placed Torches will break when contacting water, dropping as an item. Water Candles may be placed underwater, but do not emit light when held and wet.

Glowsticks emit light even when underwater and can be thrown to illuminate areas (they are thrown by being used; do not use T to throw them). Once a glowstick is thrown your character will be unable to pick it up for several minutes. Further, it will fall down if the block it's resting on is removed. Thus, if you're mining straight down you can throw a glowstick at your feet and it will follow you down.

Sticky glowsticks stick to surfaces when thrown.

Chandeliers, Chain Lanterns and Disco Balls can only be hung from solid ceilings (not Wooden Platforms) and only if there is enough space (3x3 for chandelier, 1x2 for lantern and 2x2 for disco ball). They can be powered by a wire to light off. They aren't affected by water and can only be removed with a pickaxe.

Lighting differences
Lighting may vary depending on the Light Source used. For example, a Chandelier emits much more light than a Water Candle, and a Green Torch will have a light color different from a Candle.

Depending on the lighting mode chosen by the player, colored light sources may produce colored light. Some lighting settings produce only white light for all sources.

The Darkness debuff will decrease the amount of light seen from light sources. The Night Owl Potion's buff will instead increase the lighting seen from light sources.

The area illuminated by a lighting source depends both on the source and the surroundings. For example, a torch emits more light than blinkroot, and blocks and hanging vines will block light to varying degrees, depending on how many of them are in the way.

= List of light sources =

Primary light sources
These items are intended to provide light as a primary function.

Portable
The following items are portable light sources that can provide light while being carried. Torches and Candles may also be placed as Furniture, and Glowsticks can be thrown.

Holding a Water Candle in the player's hand will increase all enemy spawn rates by 33%, and increase the maximum number of simultaneous on-screen enemies by 50%. Note that it must be held, simply being somewhere in the inventory will not suffice. Being within range of a placed water candle will also increase the spawn rate and maximum number of enemies by an equal amount. Multiple placed candles do not stack, but the bonuses from holding and placing a candle do.

Furniture
(outdated; lacks missing items from recent patch)

The following provide light primarily as placed background Furniture.

Novelty lights
These placeable items provide a low amount of colored light, and are primarily intended as decoration, rather than providing functional light. The Disco Ball will not count as a light source for a House's requirements.

Buffs
The following Buffs provide light as a result of a Potion or Magic item.

Incidental light sources
The following items produce varying amounts of light, even though lighting is not their primary function. Of these, only the Heart Lantern will work as a House's light source.

Growable
These can be spawned given the right conditions, which occur naturally and can also be induced by the player.

On world generation only
These are produced only on World creation, and can not be picked up, used, or placed by players.

Gear
Many weapons also generate light, which usually varies in brightness. For example most guns (or rather, the bullets shot by them) and many magic weapons produce light when fired.

Some armor pieces like the Mining Helmet also generate light.