Deep Space Probes

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The Spectroscope  
A spectroscope is an instrument that scientists use to break up light into its component colours. This is done according to the colour's wavelength. When light strikes the prism in the spectroscope, the prism bends the light according to the colours' wavelength. Some colours are bent more than others. Astronomers can use this information to find out what a star is made up of. Each element gives off energy of a certain wavelength. Certain elements form a pattern of coloured bands in the spectroscope. Astronomers use this as a form of fingerprint identification to figure out what gases are present in a star.

The spectroscope can also be used to show how fast a star is moving or whether the star is moving towards or away from the Earth. If a star is moving away from the Earth, the spectral lines will shift towards the red end of the colour spectrum. If it moves towards the Earth, the shift will occurs towards the blue or violet end of the spectrum. This shift in the spectrum is called the Doppler Effect.