Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs
Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs is a complete guide for amateur astronomers who are looking for a new challenge beyond astrophotography. The book provides a brief overview of the history and development of the spectroscope, then a short introductio
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Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs
Ken M. Harrison
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Ken M. Harrison Cobham, UK
Additional material to this book can be downloaded from http://extras.springer.com ISSN 1431-9756 ISBN 978-1-4419-7238-5 e-ISBN 978-1-4419-7239-2 DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-7239-2 Springer New York Dordrecht Heidelberg London © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011 All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher (Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA), except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Preface
There have been three significant milestones in the history of observational astronomy: the invention of the telescope, photography, and the spectroscope. The development of the spectroscope has contributed more to the science than any other telescope accessory. It has been said that 85% of all astronomical discoveries have been made with the spectroscope. Probably due to the perception that lots of mathematics and calculations are involved, plus the fact that it doesn’t have the “Ohh” or “Ahh” impact of some of the spectacular astronomical images now being regularly distributed on the forums and websites, spectroscopy is an area that has been long overlooked and neglected by the amateur. By using amateur telescopes, mountings, and CCD cameras currently available, this book will show how, with the addition of a simple spectroscope we can observe and record spectra that reveal the temperature, composition, and age of stars, the nature of the glowing gases in nebulae, and even the existence of other exoplanets circling around distant stars. The basic challenge facing the novice is where to start. What equipment will I need? Where can I find a spectroscope? How do I process the CCD image? How do I analyze my first spectrum? These questions and more are addressed in this book. Up to date information on equipment, spectroscopes, and methods available to the amateur, and more importantly “How to. . .”.are all included in this book. There are three basic sections in this book: 1. Introduction to Spectroscopy. This part provides a brief overview of the history of spectroscopy, the theory behind the spectrum lines, and types of spectroscopes. 2. Obtaining and Analyzing Spectra. Tells how to set up and use your spectroscope; describes different commercially available sp
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