Fraunhofer lines
Solar absorption bands
Fraunhofer lines are the dark lines appearing in the spectrum of sunlight, caused by absorption of specific wavelengths by elements in the sun's outer atmosphere.
Named for the German physicist who first systematically mapped them, these lines allow scientists to identify the chemical composition of stars and other celestial bodies: The Fraunhofer lines revealed the presence of sodium in the sun's atmosphere.
Star's light-emitting surface
- chromosphereStellar atmospheric zone
- sunlightRadiance from our star
- solar spectrumSun's electromagnetic wavelength distribution
- coronaStar's outermost atmosphere
solar eclipse · starlight · telescope · radiance · solar radiation
Metric unit, billion-fold smaller
- angstromSubatomic length unit
- visible spectrumWavelengths eyes can detect
- ultravioletWavelengths shorter than violet
- infraredHeat-bearing electromagnetic waves
redshift · blueshift · color · monochromatic · frequency
Wavelength-based substance identification
- spectrometerMeasures electromagnetic radiation properties
- spectroscopeDevice separating light frequencies
- prismLight-splitting optical element
- dispersionScattering across space
atomic transitions · energy levels · Bunsen burner · chemical elements
Light-splitting optical element
- refractionWave bending between media
- dispersionScattering across space
- spectrographWavelength-separating recording instrument
- collimatorParallel ray producer
slit · resolution · interference · diffraction · optical instrument · ruling
photosphere
Star's light-emitting surface
- chromosphereStellar atmospheric zone
- sunlightRadiance from our star
- solar spectrumSun's electromagnetic wavelength distribution
corona · solar eclipse · starlight · telescope · radiance · solar radiation
nanometer
Metric unit, billion-fold smaller
- angstromSubatomic length unit
- visible spectrumWavelengths eyes can detect
- ultravioletWavelengths shorter than violet
infrared · redshift · blueshift · color · monochromatic · frequency
spectral analysis
Wavelength-based substance identification
- spectrometerMeasures electromagnetic radiation properties
- spectroscopeDevice separating light frequencies
- prismLight-splitting optical element
dispersion · atomic transitions · energy levels · Bunsen burner · chemical elements
prism
Light-splitting optical element
- refractionWave bending between media
- dispersionScattering across space
- spectrographWavelength-separating recording instrument
collimator · slit · resolution · interference · diffraction · optical instrument · ruling
hydrogen
Simplest atomic element
iron · magnesium · oxygen · carbon · nitrogen · barium · nickel · chromium · chemical fingerprint · trace elements
- sunsol, solar, sunlight, sunspots, sunshine
- light spectrumvisible spectrum, spectrum, sunlight, visible light, white light
- solar physicssunspots, solar flares, corona, photosphere, chromosphere
- absorption spectraBalmer series, absorbance
- spectral linesemission spectrum, Balmer series
- stellar spectroscopyspectroscopy, spectrograph, spectrometer, spectroscope, solar spectrum