Electromagnetic probes are arguably the most universal tools to study the different physics processes in high energy hadron and heavy ion collisions. In this paper we summarize recent measurements of real and virtual direct photons at central rapidity by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC in p+p, d+Au and Au+Au collisions. We also discuss the impact of the results and the constraints they put on theoretical models. At the end we report on the immediate as well as on the mid-term future of photon measurements in PHENIX.
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