We can figure out much more about the world around us is we use instruments to improve on what we can see in the visible spectrum.
The image below illustrates the point nicely.
This multipanel image show how different wavelengths of light can reveal different features of a cosmic object. On the left is a visible light image of the Whirlpool galaxy. The next image combines visible and infrared light, while the two on the right show different wavelengths of infrared light.
