Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
• Almost all of our information on the heavens is
derived from the light we see
• We have returned samples from the Moon and a
comet
– Also obtained meteor samples
• We have landed (with unmanned probes) on only a
handful of planets and moons
Light and the EM Spectrum
• The terms light, radiation,
and electromagnetic wave
can all be used to explain
the same concept
• Light comes in many forms
and it took physicists some
time to realize that x-rays,
visible light, radio waves,
etc. are all the same
phenomena
Jupiter seen at different wavelengths of light
• By using these different
tools, astronomers are able
to gain a lot of information
on various objects
Light as a Wave
• One way to think about light
is as a traveling wave
• A wave is just a disturbance
in some medium (water, air,
space)
• A wave travels through a
medium but does not
transport material
• A wave can carry both
energy and information
Wave Terminology
• Wavelength - distance between two like points on the wave
• Amplitude - the height of the wave compared to undisturbed state
• Period - the amount of time required for one wavelength to pass
• Frequency - the number of waves passing in a given amount of time
Wave Relationships
• Notice from the definitions we can relate the
properties of a wave to one another
frequency 1
period
wavelength
velocity wavelength frequency
period
Wave Relationships
• Frequency is usually expressed in the unit of Hertz
– This unit is named after a German scientist who studied radio waves
1
1Hz
s
– For example, if a wave has a period of 10 seconds, the frequency of the
wave would be 1/10 Hz, or 0.1 Hz
• Note that light is always traveling at the same speed (c ~ 3 x 108 m/s)
– Remember: velocity = wavelength x frequency
• If frequency increases, wavelength decreases
• If frequency decreases, wavelength increases
Wavelengths of Light - Visible
• What we see as white light is
actually made up of a
continuum of components
• Traditionally, we break white
light into red, orange, yellow,
green, blue, indigo, and violet
(ROY G BIV)
• There is actually a continuous
transition of color, each with
its own wavelength and
frequency
Wavelengths of Light - Visible
• Red light has an approximate wavelength of 7.0 x 10-7 m
and a frequency of 4.3 x 1014 Hz
• Violet light has an approximate wavelength of 4.0 x 10-7 m
and a frequency of 7.5 x 1014 Hz
• When dealing with such small numbers for wavelength,
astronomers often use a new unit called the angstrom
– 1 angstrom = 1 x 10-10 m
• Red light has a wavelength of about 7000 angstroms
• When dealing with large numbers for frequency, we often
use the traditional prefixes
– Kilo = 103, Mega = 106, Giga = 109
• Red light has a frequency of about 430,000 GHz
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
• Human eyes are only able
to process information
from the visible part of the
spectrum
• Toward longer
wavelengths, the spectrum
includes infrared light,
microwaves, and radio
• Toward shorter
wavelengths, the spectrum
includes ultraviolet light, X-
rays, and gamma rays
• All of these are forms of
electromagnetic radiation
EM Spectrum in Astronomy
• If we could only observe in visible light, our
knowledge of the universe would be greatly
limited
• By looking at objects at different wavelengths,
we get a different view and lots more
information
• Some objects are only visible at certain
wavelengths
The Sun at Different Wavelengths
Visible Ultraviolet
X-ray X-ray
Measuring Temperature from Light
• Astronomers can use the light from an
object to measure its temperature
• Astronomers also use a different unit
for temperature, the Kelvin
• Water boils at 373 K and freezes at
273 K
– Most stars have a temperature in the
1000's of Kelvin
• The coldest possible temperature
(absolute zero) corresponds to 0
Kelvin
Blackbody Radiation
• Every object radiates energy
• This energy is emitted at
different wavelengths (or
frequencies) of light
• The distribution of this
energy is called a blackbody
curve
• The size and shape of a
blackbody curve changes
with an object's temperature
Blackbody Radiation
'White hot'
'Red hot'
Room temperature
Blackbody Radiation
Cool gas ( ~60K)
Young star ( ~600K)
The Sun (~6000K)
Hot stars in a cluster ( ~60,000K)
Doppler Effect
• The motion of an object can be measured through a change
in the frequency of the waves emitted by the object
• The increase in pitch of an approaching police car is caused
by the compression of the sound wave
– The pitch decreases as the police car moves away
Doppler Shift
• In astronomy, the same
effect happens to light
waves
• A source that is moving
away will appear redder
(redshift)
• A source that is moving
toward us will appear bluer
(blueshift)
• Note: Only objects moving
toward or away from us
(radial motion) will show
this effect
