1814 ⟶ Fraunhofer Develops Spectrometer and Studies Solar Spectrum
Joseph von Fraunhofer builds the first accurate spectrometer...
Year
1814
1868
1872
☀️ Fraunhofer Develops Spectrometer and Studies Solar Spectrum
Joseph von Fraunhofer builds the first accurate spectrometer and uses it to study the spectrum of the Sun's light. He discovers and maps hundreds of fine dark lines crossing the solar spectrum. In 1859 these lines are linked to chemical elements in the Sun's atmosphere. Spectroscopy becomes a method for studying what stars are made of.⟶
PhysicsSpectroscopySolar SpectrumJoseph von FraunhoferAstronomy19th Century ScienceElementsAstrophysics
Germany☀️ Discovery of Helium
Astronomers notice a new bright emission line in the spectrum of the Sun's atmosphere during an eclipse. The emission line is caused by an element's giving out light, and British astronomer Norman Lockyer concludes that it is an element unknown on Earth. He calls it helium, from the Greek word for the Sun. Nearly 30 years later, helium is found on Earth.⟶
AstronomyPhysicsHeliumLockyerSpectroscopy19th CenturyElementsSolar System
United Kingdom⭐ First Photograph of a Star's Spectrum Reveals Chemical Composition
An American astronomer Henry Draper takes the first photograph of the spectrum of a star (Vega), showing absorption lines that reveal its chemical makeup. Astronomers begin to see that spectroscopy is the key to understanding how stars evolve. William Huggins uses absorption lines to measure the redshifts of stars, which give the first indication of how fast stars are moving.⟶
SpectroscopyAstronomyStellar CompositionRedshiftWilliam HugginsHenry DraperAstrophysics19th Century Science
United StatesUnited Kingdom