absorption line

absorption line

1) Dark line in a spectrum, produced when light or other electromagnetic radiation coming from a distant source passes through a gas cloud or similar object closer to the observer. Like emission lines, absorption lines betray the chemical composition and velocity of the material that produces them.

2) Dark line superposed on a continuous spectrum, caused by the absorption of light passing through a gas of lower temperature than the continuum light source.

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Industry/Domain: Astronomy
Category: General astronomy
Company: Caltech
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