Infrared homing

Infrared homing is like playing a game of hide-and-seek using heat.

Imagine you are playing hide-and-seek with your friends on a very hot and sunny day. You have to find your friends who are hiding using your eyes only. But what if your friends are hiding in a shady spot where it's cooler? You might not be able to see them with your eyes.

That's where infrared homing comes in. It's like having a special pair of glasses that allow you to see heat. In our game of hide-and-seek, you can put on the special glasses and look for your friends using the heat they give off.

Infrared homing works the same way for missiles or other guided weapons. They have a special sensor that can "see" heat. When a target, like an airplane or another missile, gives off heat or "infrared radiation," the sensor on the missile can detect it and track the target, just like you could find your friends using your heat-sensing glasses.

So instead of needing to see a target with your eyes, infrared homing allows missiles and other weapons to find and track targets using the heat they give off.