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Instrument class · Spectra (composition, temperature, velocity)

Spectrometer

An instrument that splits light into its component wavelengths to reveal composition, temperature, and motion — the workhorse of remote sensing, spanning ultraviolet, visible, infrared, X-ray, and gamma-ray bands.

Instruments of this class

  • New Horizons's ultraviolet imaging spectrometer, which probed the composition and structure of Pluto's atmosphere as the spacecraft flew through its shadow.

Knowledge connections

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.

    Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.

  • ESAEuropean Space Agency

    European missions, observatories, and space science imagery.