The Development of a Simple Spectrometer for Astronomical Use.
The Development of a Simple Spectrometer for Astronomical Use.
A spectroscope is an observing instrument that reveals the colour components
of a light source. Scientists refer to this beautiful array of colour as a
visual spectrum. Scientists in disciplines such as chemistry, astronomy,
biology, and geology use spectroscopy. For instance, astronomers observe
spectra and use spectroscopy to calculate the temperature, relative size,
and composition of a star.
Looking up into the night sky, you see thousands of stars at varying
distances from Earth. The luminosity and temperature of each star varies as
well. These are the reasons behind the wide range of apparent magnitudes of
stars.
As part of a joint School of EE & School of Physical Sciences development
programme, the student will be involved in the specification of a simple
spectrometer for use with an astronomical telescope. The spectrometer could
consist of a simple transmission grating, connected to the optical train of
the telescope which would be imaged by a simple Webcam, which will be
developed in another project. The spectra will then be examined for the
presence of absorption lines, which indicate the presence of elements and
molecules in the stars whence they originate.