spectroscopy

SPECTROSCOPY

INTRODUCTION

THE STAR ANALYSER - A SIMPLE LOW RESOLUTION SPECTROGRAPH

I first started experimenting with spectroscopy in late 2002 using a 100 lines/mm transmission grating bought from the educational supplies company Jeulin in France, which I came across on Christain Buil's website here http://astrosurf.com/buil/us/spe1/spectro3.htm It was mounted in a 50x50mm glass slide and, unusually for an inexpensive grating, it was blazed which increased the efficiency (most of the light is diffracted into one of the first order spectra.)

In late 2004, I eventually traced the manufacture of this grating to Paton Hawksley in the UK and after discussions with them, the idea of an affordable filter cell mounted grating, specifically designed to be easy to use with a range of CCD cameras, was born. This became the Star Analyser 100.

I never cease to be amazed at what can be done with such simple equipment, such as identifying supernovae types, detecting molecules in comets and measuring the redshift of Quasars.

**UPDATE MAY 2006**

THE LHIRES III - A HIGH RESOLUTION SPECTROGRAPH

I now also have a high resolution (R=17000) capability for bright objects, thanks to an LHIRES III spectrograph purchased as a kit from the French AUDE amateur astronomy group. See here for more details

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