Hydrogen-Alpha 656.28nm – A Narrow Line In The Visible Spectrum – Science Class at Smith’s Kotoen ( スミス英会話　甲東園 )

It’s been astronomy time in the day time lately.  Not long ago we had two significant astronomical events involving our very own day star, The Sun.

One was the Solar Eclipse on May 21st and the second was the rare Venus Transit on June 6th.  Although a distant memory and insignificant for many, the importance of these events cannot be overstated.

This photograph was taken through a Hydrogen-alpha telescope.  This scope has a 60mm doppler-tunable H-alpha etalon at the front and a 10mm rear blocking filter.

Hydrogen alpha is the wavelength of light emitted by a photon which is released when an electron of a hydrogen atom drops from the third to the second energy level.  This is by far the most abundant emission from the sun and helps to give it the orange color with which we tend to associate it.  At 656.28nm, that’s in billionths of a meter, H-alpha is a narrow wavelength of visible light located in the deep orange-approaching-red area of the visible spectrum, an area the human eye is fairly sensitive around and therefore lights up much of our world as we see it.  It is also one of the most educationally significant and by far the safest area to study The Sun.  Have a look and marvel at our very own star, the colossal and stupendous object at its heart responsible for life on Earth.

Martin Werner Zander, Smith’s Partner

マーティン・ワーナー・ザンダー

Owner, Smith’s School in Kotoen

月謝制のスミス英会話　甲東園校　仁川　逆瀬川　門戸厄神  Astronomy and Science Course!!