Joseph von
FraunhoferÕs initial desire was to create a glass lens that did not produce an image that was
fringed with a rainbow of colors. He realized the
problem was that the glass lens bent some colors more than others. He began searching for a source of light of a single
color.
In 1814, he
developed a spectroscope to study the spectrum of the light given off by the sun. He was amazed to discover that in
the midst of the rainbow
of colors was a series of black lines.
These dark lines were
later determined to be the result of the absorption of selected frequencies of the electromagnetic
radiation by an atom or molecule.
Development of the Spectroscope
Joseph von Fraunhofer
(March 6, 1787 – June 7, 1826)