An introductory workshop on the methods used to study stars.

An introductory workshop on the methods used to study stars.

The activity will introduce participants to a key technique in most experimental sciences, particularly as regards its application to astrophysics. Spectroscopy involves splitting light through optical elements, so that the different chemical elements the light went through can be identified thanks to their characteristic lines or, in other words, their “spectral fingerprint”. The activity has two parts:

• Workshop: Attendees will use hand-held spectroscopes to observe several lamps containing gases and check that each has a different spectrum.
• Exhibition: To see the applications of this technique to astrophysics, there will be two panels showing different astronomical spectrographs and the spectra of several stars. Some of the chemical elements attendees have just observed in the lamps will be identified.

Organised by: Amparo Marco Tobarra, Department of Physics, Systems Engineering and Signal Theory, University of Alicante

Date and time: 30/09/2022 6-10 p.m.

Place: University of Alicante – San Vicente del Raspeig Campus