Want this question answered?
Each chemical element has a specific emission or absorption spectrum.
to identify elements
An absorption spectrum can tell the astronomer or physicist what elements are in the starlight being observed. A diffraction grating is used to split the incoming light into a spectrum of colors. Sodium, for example, causes dark Fraunhofer lines at known points in the visible spectrum. Helium was discovered in the solar spectrum by Bunsen and Kirchoff using this technique. Hence the name derived from Helios for the Sun.
Spectral lines tell us how many different energy levels an atom has, and how far apart those energy levels are spaced. This is possible because spectral lines are the result of an excess (emission lines) or deficiency (absorption lines) of observed photons emitted from certain types of matter. The lines are caused by electrons moving between energy levels within individual atoms. Since each element emits it's own unique spectrum, this means that different types of atoms must have a distinct number of electrons in very particular energy levels.
scientists can tell the stars composition and temperature from its spectrum. Hope tht helps :]
Each chemical element has a specific emission or absorption spectrum.
Astronomers are able to identify chemicals in distant space with the use of spectral analysis. This breaks the light apart into a spectrum and find either emission lines or absorption lines and identifies which elements are present.
An absorption spectrum can tell the astronomer or physicist what elements are in the starlight being observed. A diffraction grating is used to split the incoming light into a spectrum of colors. Sodium, for example, causes dark Fraunhofer lines at known points in the visible spectrum. Helium was discovered in the solar spectrum by Bunsen and Kirchoff using this technique. Hence the name derived from Helios for the Sun.
to identify elements
An absorption spectrum can tell the astronomer or physicist what elements are in the starlight being observed. A diffraction grating is used to split the incoming light into a spectrum of colors. Sodium, for example, causes dark Fraunhofer lines at known points in the visible spectrum. Helium was discovered in the solar spectrum by Bunsen and Kirchoff using this technique. Hence the name derived from Helios for the Sun.
The absorption spectrum shows which wave lengths are absorbed in each individual type of chlorophyll. The action spectrum shows which wavelengths of light are most effective for photosynthesis.
The lines in a spectroscope tell what element(s) are being observed. The continuous color are background noise or put there for a reference.
The colours with which an element (metal or other) burns in a flame are the same colours which are absorbed by that element in the sun's spectrum. The colours are very specific to each element and show up as distinct black lines in the solar spectrum. By studying the spectrum it is possible to tell what elements are in the sun [or star] and also their relative abundance.If a star is moving away from us absorption lines are red-shifted [move towards the red end of the spectrum]. The faster the star is moving away, the greater the red-shift. Also, as Hubble discovered, the greater the red-shift, the further away the star is. So the red shift in the absorption spectrum is a measure of not only how fast the star is receding from us but also how far it is. This allows us to tell whether two stars which are apparently in the same direction are actually close together or simply a coincidental alignment of their lines of sight.
Spectral lines tell us how many different energy levels an atom has, and how far apart those energy levels are spaced. This is possible because spectral lines are the result of an excess (emission lines) or deficiency (absorption lines) of observed photons emitted from certain types of matter. The lines are caused by electrons moving between energy levels within individual atoms. Since each element emits it's own unique spectrum, this means that different types of atoms must have a distinct number of electrons in very particular energy levels.
'Astronomical spectrum' is not a specific term. I suspect you are thinking of the emission spectrum of a star, which can tell us a great deal about the composition of the star. Light and other radiations from the object are spread out into constituent wavelengths and dark lines appear across the spectrum at certain specific wavelengths which are characteristic of elements present.
Spectrometers are used for this. By looking at the spectrum of light coming from the star, scientists can tell which elements are in the star by the pattern of lines that are known to be associated with certain elements.
Dark lines in an absorption spectrum are caused by material existing between the source of light and the observation point. This material can absorb light from the source at specific energies corresponding to the excitation energies of the molecules, atoms, or ions making up the material.