About Us

Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs

This webpage is being developed as a supplementary resource for the Group Astronomical Spectroscopy

https://groups.io/g/astronomicalspectroscopy

This group, with over a 1000 members, is the largest dedicated amateur spectroscopy forum on the Web and has, since 2009, been focused on supporting amateur astronomers interested in Spectroscopy. Our aim is to provide resource material and assistance to both the beginner and the more experienced amateur. We also support Fred Veio's ongoing and long time passion for Spectroheliographs (SHG) and Spectrohelioscopes (SHS) providing assistance to amateurs who want to construct their own SHG or SHS.

In 2011 "Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs" (ASfA) was published by Springer as "update" to Tonkin's "Practical Amateur Spectroscopy" issued in 2002.

ASfA is a great reference source covering the history, spectrograph theory, obtaining spectra, and the design and construction of spectrographs. This webpage takes a lot of it's content from that book. After you've bought Richard Walker's "Spectroscopic Atlas" and Kaler's "Stars and their Spectra", "Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs" should be next on your list!

We do not intend the re-write the book(s) on amateur spectroscopy, or re-hash all the easily available information. The intent of this website is to acknowledge and bring together in one easy location the wealth of knowledge and information from amateurs around the world.

Names like Christian Buil, Robin Leadbeater, Fulvio Mete etc. will appear regularly in the various pages in recognition of the ongoing commitment and useful contributions they have made to amateur spectroscopy.

A great overview of the wide scope of spectroscopy can be found here Spectroscopy Fundamentals

The How to... section will get you started and then you can select any of the other section to continue your searches.

Check out the Spectrograph area for more details on spectroscope design, availablitiy of commercial instruments and the DIY construction and testing of various spectrographs. 

Recommended Books and further reading can be found here.

Onwards and Upwards!

If you have any specific wants/ needs/ desires you’d like to see explained/ illustrated in the area of amateur astronomical spectroscopy – just post a message in the group area and we’ll follow up.