To see the various colors that make up starlight, astronomers can use a prism to separate the colors. Common elements like helium and calcium in the atmospheres of stars block certain colors of light, ...

Various physical mechanisms broaden the intrinsic absorption lines. The most important is that the random motions of the absorbing atoms cause “Doppler broadening.” Larger motions within the object, ...

Water vapour continuum absorption refers to the smooth, broadband absorption observed in the atmospheric windows, which fills the spectral gaps between distinct molecular absorption lines. This ...

Scientists have discovered missing colours in the Sun’s light spectrum. Hundreds of dark absorption lines remain unexplained, hinting towards hidden processes in our nearest star’s mysterious ...

The basic principles of AAS can be expressed as follows. Firstly, all atoms or ions can absorb light at specific, unique wavelengths. When a sample containing copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni), for example, ...