June 24, 1881: First photographic spectrum of a comet

On the evening of June 24, 1881, Sir William Huggins directed his reflector, equipped with spectroscopic and photographic tools and located in his private observatory in London, to the head of Comet 1881 III. He captured the first photographic spectrum of a comet, and later analysis of the imagery revealed cyanogen emissions at certain wavelengths.Continue reading “June 24, 1881: First photographic spectrum of a comet”
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