The Solar Spectrum
Explanation:
It is still not known why the Sun's light is missing some colors.
Shown above are all the
visible colors of the
Sun, produced by passing the Sun's light through a
prism-like device.
The
above spectrum was created at the
McMath-Pierce
Solar Observatory
and shows, first off, that although our yellow-appearing
Sun emits light of nearly
every color,
it does indeed appear brightest in yellow-green light.
The dark patches in the
above spectrum arise from gas at or above the
Sun's surface
absorbing sunlight emitted below.
Since different types of gas
absorb different colors of light,
it is possible to determine what gasses compose the Sun.
Helium, for example, was
first discovered in 1870 on a solar spectrum and only
later found here on
Earth.
Today, the majority of
spectral absorption lines have been identified - but
not all.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
