The author measured the emission spectrum of the &ngr;3band of SF6at 1780 °K in a shock tube. At this high temperature, the emission peaks at a frequency of 907 cm−1(11.02 &mgr;); at room temperature, the band has a peak intensity at 948 cm−1. Lyman and Nowak observed similar but proportionately smaller shifts of the spectral maximum to lower frequencies at temperatures between 400 and 800 °K. A knowledge of the high‐temperature spectral distribution of the &ngr;3band is important for the design and interpretation of isotope separation experiments in which SF6is dissociated by selective multiphoton absorption of CO2laser photons.