Why Don't All Photons from Distant Stars Reach Us?

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Photons from distant stars represent all forms of electromagnetic radiation, but not all of them reach Earth due to absorption and scattering by interstellar materials. While radio waves can often penetrate these materials, visible light and other frequencies may be absorbed or blocked. The electromagnetic emissions are frequency-specific, meaning that different sources emit radiation at specific frequencies, which affects what is detectable on Earth. Observations are made across various frequencies using specialized telescopes, but limitations exist based on the medium through which the light travels. Understanding these factors is crucial for comprehending the visibility of cosmic phenomena.
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When photons from distant stars [etc] are received why does the rest of the electromagnetic spectrum not reach us.
 
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Martyn Arthur said:
When photons from distant stars [etc] are received why does the rest of the electromagnetic spectrum not reach us.

What makes you think it doesn't?
 
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Martyn Arthur said:
When photons from distant stars [etc] are received why does the rest of the electromagnetic spectrum not reach us.
In comparison to radio waves (in general) it's usually the opposite because interstellar and intergalactic materials (powders, etc) are transparent to radio waves but not always to visible light.

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Am I missing something, but aren't photons the carrier of all electromagnetic radiation regardless of frequency? So they're all being emitted, some are absorbed or transduced along the way, but a lot reaches us. We view the cosmos in many frequencies right here on Earth.
 
trainman2001 said:
Am I missing something, but aren't photons the carrier of all electromagnetic radiation regardless of frequency?

No they are not.
EM emissions is mostly frequency specific ... eg. monochromatic light ... a red laser ... is very frequency specific radio, TV broadcasts ...
else why would they bother to give you a specific frequency to tune to for your favourite FM radio station eg. 101.7 MHz
Some sources are broad band, but even then not necessarily/not likely to be right across the whole spectrum

ohhh and photons are quantum packets of energy (at a specific frequency) :smile:
 
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