Astronomy Chapter 4 Vocab- "Spectroscopy"

spectroscopy

the study of the absorption and emission of light and other radiation by matter

spectroscope

a device that measures the spectrum of light, and splits light into component colors

emission lines

individual bright lines emitted by particular atoms; can be used to identify atoms

emission spectrum

can be used to identify elements, such as helium and neon

absorption spectrum

a spectrum where atoms of a cool gas will absorb the same frequencies they emit if a continuous spectrum passes through it

Kirchhoff’s Laws

state that a luminous solid, liquid, or dense gas produces the continuous spectrum, a low-density hot gas produces the emission spectrum, and the continuous spectrum incident on a cool, thin gas produces the absorption spectrum

spectral line analysis

the most information that can be gleaned from spectral lines: chemical composition, temperature, and velocity (indicates a red or blue shift)