Chapter 8

Starlight and spectra

 What is Starlight?
• Starlight is the light emitted by stars.[1] It typically refers to visible
electromagnetic radiation from stars other than the Sun, observable
from Earth at night, although a component of starlight is observable
from Earth during daytime.
• Sunlight is the term used for the Sun's starlight observed during
daytime. During nighttime, albedo describes solar reflections from
other Solar System objects, including moonlight, planetshine, and
zodiacal light.
 Oldest starlight

• One of the oldest stars yet identified — oldest but not most distant in
this case — was identified in 2014: while "only" 6,000 light years
away, the star SMSS J031300.36−670839.3 was determined to be
13.8 billion years old, or more or less the same age as the universe
itself.[9] The starlight shining on Earth would include this star.[9]
 What is Spectrum?
• A Spectrum is a range of band of colours that appear when light passes
through a prism or water drops. The best example of a Spectrum is a
rainbow. Rainbows are multicolored arcs made by light passing the water
droplets. Rainbow appears as a spectra of various colors: violet, indigo,
blue, green, yellow, orange and red.
• This is a continuous range of electromagnetic radiation waves. It ranges
from the longest radio waves to the shortest X-rays and gamma rays.
• The band of colours obtained on a screen on passing white light through a
prism is called the spectrum. The prism has split the incident white light
into a band of colours. The splitting of white light takes place due to
refraction. As light travels from a denser medium to a rarer medium, it
splits up into a band of colours This happens because white light is
composed of lights of different colours having different wavelengths and
frequencies.
 What Is an Electromagnetic Spectrum?

• The electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is the range of all types of EM

radiation. Radiation is the energy given off by matter in the form of rays or
high-speed particles. The visible light that comes from a lamp to the rays
used to figure out a fractured bone, all are forms of electromagnetic
radiation. And the series of these different radiations is called the
electromagnetic spectrum.
• The entire electromagnetic spectrum encompasses other frequencies we
interact with daily, even if we do not think about them. These are
microwaves, infrared light, ultraviolet light, X-rays, and gamma-rays.
• Electromagnetic Spectrum
1. Gamma rays – These rays are used to sanitize medical equipment and inhibit the
growth of micro-organisms.
2. X-rays – These ays are used to visualize the inside of a body without making an
incision. These rays are used for scanning purposes.
3. Ultraviolet light – These rays kill microbes, hence is used extensively to disinfect
equipment.
4. Visible light – These rays help us to see things around us.
5. Infrared rays – As these rays can easily penetrate the skin, are used widely in
cosmetic applications. It is used in remote controls, electrical hearts, and thermal
cameras.
6. Microwave – It is widely used in microwave ovens to transmit the thermal energy
required to cook food. Also used to guide airplanes.
7. Radio waves are used in radio and TV broadcasts.
• Spectral class or spectral classification is the manner of organization in
astronomy that deals with classifying stars according to brightness or
luminosity, or through the spectrum or color of the star’s chromospheres.
• Planets are celestial body, naturally occurring physical entity, with definite
shape and size. The shapes can be round, spheroidal, ellipsoidal,
compressed, and disk type. The sizes range between supergiant, giant,
medium, and small (Dwarf). The composition can be in hot gaseous
form, elements, minerals, rocks, water, and any other variations.
• What does a celestial body consist of? Celestial bodies or heavenly bodies
refer to the planets, stars, moons and all the other natural objects present
in space.
• Facts About Celestial Bodies The Milky Way galaxy is 105,700
light-years wide. Exoplanets are planets that revolve around
other stars. The largest star in the universe is the VY Canis
Majoris which is about 2,000 times the size of the sun. The sun
makes a full rotation once every 25-35 days.