Solar System Final

Electromagnetic spectrum

The full range of all types of electromagnetic radiation, from radio waves to gamma rays

Wavelength

The distance between consecutive peaks of a wave

Frequency

The number of wave cycles taht pass a point per second

Range of visible spectrum

The range of wavelengths that the human eye can see. ~400-700nm

Blackbody radiation

The radiation emitted by an idealized object that absorbs all light and emits a spectrum determined only by its temperature

Hotter stars

Stars that emit more high-energy (shorter wavelength) light; appear blue

Cooler stars

Stars that emit more low-energy (longer wavelength) lightl; appear redder

Observed solar spectrum

The sun’s actual light specturym, showing absoprtion lines

Theoretical blackbody radiation curve

A smooth curve predicting the intensity of radiation at each wavelenght for a given temperature

Kirchhoff’s laws

Describe how spectra are produced. When heat passes through dense objects, that’s a continuous spectrum. When heat passes through a thin gas, that’s the emission spectrum. When there is a cool gas in front of a hot source, that’s absorption spectrum

Atmospheric windows for electromagnetic radiation

Wavelength ranges where Earth’s atmosphere is transparent to electromagnetic radiation