Sunday, November 17, 2013

The Spectral Scavenger Hunt

WEBSITE URL : http://www.physics.sjsu.edu/tomley/ObjectSpectra/SpectralForms.html
( I always forget this so I should just put it here now)

The Spectral Scavenger Hunt

1: Why do stars in a  dark nebula look reddish?
A: The stars look "reddish"  in a dark nebula because all the gas atoms scatter the shorter blue and violet photon wavelengths, so only the longer red photons wavelengths penetrate through the dark  gas cloud

2: What ( element or molecule) produces the absorption areas in cool red stars? What about in Hot Blue stars?
A: In super cool red stars ( like Antares), Neutral metals ( like Na) and certain molecules ( like TiO) are the most responsible in visible radiation absorption in cool red star temperature conditions. In  hotter Blue stars, Hydrogen is most responsible ( because of it's abundance  in  blue stars) for the visible radiation absorption in Stars of 10000 K.

3:  Planetary Nebulas often have a strong green light due to what ionized element?
A: Planetary Nebulas that have a strong green light are abundant with ionized Hydrogen which admits a green light. Other elements ( Hydrogen and Helium) give off their own distinctive colors ( respectively red and violet in Hydrogen and red in Helium rich planetary nebulas)

4: What in the ocean looks blue, clear in a glass, but in clouds it appears white. What gives clouds their white color?
A: The clouds appear white because the water droplets absorbing the wavelengths are much bigger than the wave lengths they're absorbing therefore  all the colors become uniformly reflected the clouds appear white to us.

5: Why does Neptune look blue?
A:  What we see of Neptune of reflected from it's atmosphere and gasses because it is not a terrestrial planet.  Methane within  the atmosphere of  Neptune removes a lot of red radiation wavelengths. with so  little red radiation left, the reflected wavelengths cause us to perceive Neptune as blue-green.

6:What makes  emission lines in a Quasar?
A: The emission lines are caused by thin gasses being  heated intensely as they're being sucked into a black hole that accompanies Quasars


My  Own Question about Spectra:  Are there any objects in space that just don't follow these Spectra rules? IF so what are they? Do we know why there such nonconformists...?

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