The discussion revolves around the reasons why emission spectra of stars, particularly the Sun, are rarely shown. Participants explore the challenges associated with capturing these spectra, especially in relation to the brightness of the Sun and the conditions required for observation, such as during an eclipse.
Participants generally agree on the challenges posed by the Sun's brightness and the necessity of eclipses for clearer observations, but there remains uncertainty about alternative methods and their effectiveness.
Limitations include the dependence on specific observational conditions, the effects of atmospheric interference, and the technical challenges of capturing emission spectra without eclipses.
If you do not wait for an eclipse you will be completely blinded by the thermal emission spectrum from the Sun.pkc111 said:Yes thank you so much phys guy..that makes perfect sense. I am still not quite sure why they have to wait for an eclipse, I would have thought they could just sample light coming from the outer edge of the Sun, but anyways I am sure they have their reasons ;)
Should be a doddle? No. The brightness of the Sun's disc is so great that there is far too much 'spillage' of light on its path through the atmosphere to get the detail that a total eclipse can give us.pkc111 said:yes I read that, so I am wondering why you wouldn't use a camera (viewed on a monitor) to just select from the outer light ring?