Astronomy › Section E · Radiation and spectra › Topic E.1
The behaviour of light
Astronomers cannot visit the stars, but the stars send us messages in the form of light. To read those messages you first need to know what light is, how its wavelength, frequency and energy are linked, and why it fades with distance.
In this topic
- Light is the messenger
- Maxwell unites electricity and magnetism
- Waves that need no medium
- Wavelength and frequency
- Worked example: a radio station and a red line
- Light as a stream of photons
- Worked example: comparing two photons
- Light spreads out: the inverse-square law
- Worked example: sunlight at Jupiter
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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