Notes
Outline
Light : our main source of information
Light acts like a Wave
Properties of a Wave
Light also acts like a particle : the “Photon”
Light is Electromagnetic Radiation
The Spectrum of E-M radiation
The Atmospheric “Windows”
Thermal or “Blackbody” Radiation
Astro Quiz
Two stars are the same distance and size, but one looks brighter. It must also be hotter.
Two stars are the same distance and temperature, but one looks brighter. It must also be larger.
Two stars are the same size and temperature, but one looks brighter. It must also be bluer.
Thermal Radiation from Objects
Energy Levels in Atoms
Energy transitions and photons
Unique Atomic Signatures
The Doppler Shift – how it works
The Doppler Shift – how we use it