Astronomy › Section F · Astronomical instruments › Topic F.3
Visible-light detectors and instruments
Collecting light is only half the job: it must also be sorted and recorded. Electronic detectors that catch most of the photons reaching them, cooled infrared cameras and spectrometers turn a telescope's light into precise, permanent data.
In this topic
- Beyond the human eye
- Filters and spectrometers
- Photographic plates
- Charge-coupled devices
- Why CCDs won
- Worked example: plate against CCD
- The infrared problem
- Worked example: why cold helps
- Inside a spectrometer
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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