Astrophysics > Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is a vital tool for astronomers and provides a wealth of information
Students learn to:
- account for the production of emission and absorption spectra and compare these with a continuous blackbody spectrum
- describe the technology needed to measure astronomical spectra
- identify the general types of spectra produced by stars, emission nebulae, galaxies and quasars
- describe the key features of stellar spectra and describe how these are used to classify stars
- describe how spectra can provide information on surface temperature, rotational and translational velocity, density and chemical composition of stars
Extract from Physics Stage 6 Syllabus (Amended October 2002). © 2009, Board of Studies NSW.