the datasheet of this Osram Xeradex excimer lamp says not to touch the lamp while it's in operation, but it's not necessarily because touching the lamp would damage it, or because it gets hot.
the lamp emits 172nm vacuum ultraviolet radiation, shorter-wave and higher-energy than even the UVC emitted by germicidal lamps and EEPROM erasers. it's called "vacuum ultraviolet" because it's absorbed by the oxygen in air, making ozone and excited oxygen. as long as you have ventilation, you can look at a VUV lamp all day with no ill effects. the light emitted in the picture is coming from fluorescence of the lamp envelope, ionization of the air, or both (i'm not sure).
but if there's no air between the lamp and your skin...
saw a mention of a PLC in the lamp datasheet -- which immediately says "this is useful for some industrial purpose" -- and one thing led to another and I found out that 172nm excimer lamps are used, perhaps among other things, for flash-curing the surface of varnishes because their surface absorption causes the nano-scale structure of the varnish surface to wrinkle and craze so the varnish comes out matte, while allowing the bulk of the varnish to cure properly
hell lightbulb
UV lights are fascinating and absolutely terrifying the more you look into them with an industrial use context
Does this mean I’m going to stop being absolutely arrow-in-the-brain and not look at the shiny lights through the grating briefly on a cold night while doing rounds? Hell no