The emission spectrum seemed to be the complement to the mysterious dark lines (Fraunhofer lines) in the sun's
spectrum. This meant that it was now possible to
identify the chemical composition of distant objects like the sun and other stars. They concluded that the Fraunhofer
lines in
the solar spectrum were due to the absorption of light by the atoms of
various elements in the sun's atmosphere.
Emission Spectra Complement Absorption Spectra