Starlight
Starlight is light emitted by stars.[1] It typically refers to visible electromagnetic radiation coming from stars other than the Sun, during the night, although starlight technically forms a minor component of daylight as well. Observation and measurement of starlight through telescopes is the basis for many fields of astronomy,[2] including photometry and stellar spectroscopy.[3] Starlight is also a notable part of personal experience and human culture, impacting a diverse range of pursuits including poetry[4], astronomy[2], and military strategy.[5]
The U.S. Army spent millions of dollars in the 1950s and onward to develop a starlight scope, that could amplify starlight, moonlight filtered by clouds, and the florescence of rotting vegetation about 50,000 times to allow a person to see in the night.[5] In contrast to previously developed active infrared system such as sniperscope, it was a passive device and did not require additional light emission to see.[5]
An example of poetic use of starlight in literature composition is the phrase "frosty starlight".[4] Starlight is (currently) a shade of beige known as Cosmic Latte.
Starlight spectroscopy, examination of the stellar spectra, was pioneered by Joseph Fraunhofer in 1814.[3] Starlight can be understood to be composed of three main spectra types, continuous spectrum, emission spectrum, and absorption spectrum.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Keith Robinson - Starlight: An Introduction to Stellar Physics for Amateurs (2009) - Page 38-40 (Google Books Link)
- ^ a b Macpherson, Hector (1911). The romance of modern astronomy. p. 191. http://books.google.com/books?id=O80YAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA191&dq=Starlight+astronomy&hl=en&ei=qQWkTLevG4O8lQfc5-ySDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false.
- ^ a b J. B. Hearnshaw - The analysis of starlight: one hundred and fifty years of astronomical spectroscopy (1990) - Page 51 (Google Books link)
- ^ a b Wells Hawks Skinner - Studies in literature and composition for high schools, normal schools, and ... (1897) - Page 102 (Google eBook link)
- ^ a b c Popular Mechanics - Jan 1969 - "How the Army Learned to See in the Dark" by Mort Schultz (Google Books link)
[edit] See also
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