Analyzing Stellar Spectra From Camera Images

The goal of this project is to develop an attachment between cameras and telescopes which can easily and effectively produce spectral data from images. Rather than using a fiber optic cable, which captures light, but not full images, our design can acquire high resolution images and then extract the image’s spectrum. The design consists of a transmission grating, a 3D printed attachment and housing, python script, and a Sony A7 camera. When looking at an image with our camera and design, the light from the image will pass through the transmission grating and break apart into its constituent spectrum. The camera’s CCD will collect this information and pass it through the python script. The script will measure the intensity of the captured spectrum and plot it as a wavelength vs. intensity graph. Once the image’s spectrum is produced, it can be used in a variety of ways such as studying black body temperatures, determining stellar composition, and studying red shift of astronomical objects.