- Visible light is only one of seven bands (or types) of electromagnetic radiation. What is the name given to the other six radiation bands used in astronomy? What can they tell us that visible light alone cannot.
- Astronomical telescopes used for viewing visible light may be divided into two general classes, refractors and reflectors. Describe the main components of each.
Which type is used by all professional astronomers and why?
3. Describe the Doppler Effect and why it is of such tremendous value to astronomers.
- If an object behaves as a blackbody emitter, what can we learn about an object when we plot the intensity of its electromagnetic radiation vs. the wavelength (or frequency) of that radiation?
Why is this of interest to astronomers?
- What natural physical process produces spectral lines?
What do spectral lines tell us about stars?
