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Anything with heat emits electromagnetic radiation, even if it is only in the infrared (IR) wavelengths. As matter gets hotter, it tends to change color. For example, if you've ever seen glowing metal at a steel mill or in a blacksmith shop (like on a movie) you notice hot metal glows red, hotter metal glows yellow, and even hotter metal glows white.

If you apply this concept to stars, you can start to see that by measuring the color, you are also measuring the temperature - how? because a star at a certain temperature glows a certain color.

Reds are the "cooler" stars (still very hot) and blues are the hottest stars - at least when we are talking visible spectrum.

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At what temperature will the peak of a black body spectrum be at 157.9 nm?

use Wien's Equation: b = 2.8977685 x 10-3 meter-Kelvin


What are the two ways you can classify stars?

The two ways are by their surface temperature (spectrum) and by their absolute magnitude (intrinsic brightness). The HR diagram has spectrum along the horizontal axis and absolute magnitude along the vertical axis. Each star occupies a point in the HR diagram.


What do astronomers use to determine the chemical composition in star?

The light that comes from the star. The light is spread out into its spectrum and the pattern of spectral lines allow the composition (and temperature) to be determined. The temp can also be found by looking at the black body curve for the star (also from spectrum), or, by looking at the color of the star (difference in intensity of the light through two different color filters typically B and V. The light that comes from the star. The light is spread out into its spectrum and the pattern of spectral lines allow the composition (and temperature) to be determined. The temp can also be found by looking at the black body curve for the star (also from spectrum), or, by looking at the color of the star (difference in intensity of the light through two different color filters typically B and V.


Why are peaks important in spectroscopy?

In the field of spectroscopy absorption a peak means the wavelength of radiation where a sample absorbs. Different molecules absorb radiation of different wavelengths. An absorption spectrum will show a number of absorption bands, each one corresponding to structural groups within the molecule. Each band is represented by peak if you plot absorbance vs wavelength. By knowing which structural groups correspond to which peaks, you can often identify a compound by it's spectrum. For many molecules, the spectrum has been characterized, and you can use the spectrum to determine the purity, concentration, or other properties of the molecule by looking at the position and intensity of the peaks in the absorption spectrum.


What are some of the star characteristics that can be identified by spectral analysis?

Spectroscopic surveys are based on the fact that the colors you see in everything are not in the object being observed, but is the result of the fact that the elements that make up the object, are reflecting that part of the spectrum of light that strikes it. Spectroscopic analysis will give researchers an idea of the basic makeup of the star.

Related Questions

What can a scientist learn about from a stars spectrum?

scientists can tell the stars composition and temperature from its spectrum. Hope tht helps :]


What determines where electromagnet waves fall on the electromagnet spectrum?

Frequency determines this.


If you wanted to determine the temperature of a star what measurement would you take?

emission spectrum


What does the spectrum of a star determine?

The spectrum of a star provides information about its temperature, composition, and motion. By analyzing the spectrum, astronomers can determine the star's chemical makeup, age, and even whether it is moving toward or away from Earth.


How do scientist determine the composition of a star?

Scientists determine the composition of a star by studying its spectrum, which is produced by analyzing the light emitted by the star. By examining the absorption lines in the spectrum, scientists can identify the elements present in the star's atmosphere and infer its overall composition. Additionally, measurements of the star's temperature, luminosity, and mass can also provide valuable information about its composition.


If you wanted determine the temperature of a star what measurements would you make?

Emission Spectrum


How do astronomers determine the surface temperatures of the stars?

Astronomers determine the surface temperatures of stars by analyzing their spectrum of light. Each star emits a unique spectrum based on its temperature which can be measured using instruments like spectrographs. By comparing the observed spectrum to known temperature profiles, astronomers can estimate the surface temperature of a star.


How do scientist estimate the temperature of the sun?

We don't need to estimate it, we can measure it (at least the surface temperature) using the cavity radiation equation and experimental observation of the solar spectrum.


How electromagnet spectrum was found?

Electromagnetic spectrum is formed due to the difference of wavelengths and frequency of electromagnetic radiations as they are orderly distributed.


Which waves on the electromagnet spectrum are the strongest?

Gamma rays have the highest energy and are the most powerful waves on the electromagnetic spectrum.


If you wanted to determine the temperature of a star which measurement would you use?

To determine the temperature of a star, you would typically measure its spectrum and analyze the peak wavelength of the emitted light using Wien's Law. This law states that the wavelength at which the emission of a black body spectrum is maximized is inversely proportional to its temperature. Additionally, measuring the star's color index can provide insights into its temperature, as different temperatures emit different colors of light.


How do scientists tell if a star is warm or cold?

Scientists determine a star's temperature by analyzing its spectrum of light. The color and intensity of certain lines in a star's spectrum reveal its temperature. Hotter stars appear blue or white, while cooler stars appear red.