Re: pinhole atmospheirc absorption

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From: Paul Doherty (pauld@exploratorium.edu)
Date: Fri Oct 31 2003 - 17:57:04 PST 

Message-Id: <l031107f9bbc8c272fc52@[192.168.112.78]>
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 17:57:04 -0800
From: Paul Doherty <pauld@exploratorium.edu>
Subject: Re: pinhole atmospheirc absorption

Hi Sally

These dark lines are called Fraunhofer lines they are the result of
absorption of sunlight by the atmosphere of the sun.

Light from the inner atmosphere of the sun has to pass through the outer
atmosphere before reaching earth, the atoms in the outer atmosphere absorb
wavelengths of light leaving dark lines in the spectrum. They are named for
a german surveyor spectroscopist.

Sunlight is also absorbed by the earth's atmosphere but the absorption is
mostly in the UV and IR regions and it is in broad bands rather than lines
since the earths atmosphere is denser than the outer atmosphere of the sun,
dense gasses broaden spectral lines into bands.

Paul D

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