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Why Spectra are Important!
Information Section
- The over all view of the radiation coming from a star
identifies the elements in that star. - Elements in a star can be identified by using spectroscopy. Spectroscopy is related to the scattering of an object's light into its component colors.
- Spectroscopy is helpful to astronomers because it helps show them what an object is made of, its temperature, density, and its motion.
- An object an emit continuous, emission and absorption spectras.
- Absorption spectrum is seen in stars and in the galaxy.
- A Continuous Spectrum is an unbroken band of colors and comes from hot compressed gas or glowing solid.
- Emission Spectrum is a black background with unevenly spaced lines of color which come from glowing gas.
- Absorption Spectrum is a colorful background with unevenly spaced black lines. This will occur when hot gasses pass through the cool outer layer of a star.
Neon Emission Spectrum
If you see neon more than one time in different places, you will see the identical neon in all places.
Hydrogen Absorption Spectrum
The Hydrogen Absorption Spectrum is very important because most of the universe is composed of hydrogen. Every time you see hydrogen you will see it the exact same way.
Mercury Emission Spectrum
Mercury is an emission spectrum because it is mainly black with colors spaced out unevenly
How to Use a Sprectroscope
To use a spectroscope you must look through a small square on the top which acts like a prism and spreads out the light into different wavelengths. When you look through that square you will see a thin slit in the other end. If the light is going through that slit you will see the different colors and which numbers they fall on.