A STIS Absorption Spectrum
A beam of light coming to Earth from a distant quasar passes through numerous intervening gas clouds in galaxies and in intergalactic space. These clouds of primeval hydrogen subtract specific colours from the beam. The resulting 'absorption spectrum, ' recorded by Hubbles Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) is used to determine the distances and chemical composition of the invisible clouds.
Credit:
About the Image
NASA press release
NASA caption
NASA caption
| Id: | opo9841r |
| Type: | Artwork |
| Release date: | 23 November 1998, 21:00 |
| Size: | 800 x 600 px |
About the Object
| Name: | STIS |
| Type: | • Unspecified : Galaxy : Activity : AGN : Quasar • Unspecified : Technology : Observatory : Telescope |
