The Electromagnetic Window

This lesson covers the electromagnetic window, atmospheric absorption, and why some types of electromagnetic radiation can be observed from the Earth's surface while others require space-based telescopes, as required by the AQA GCSE Physics specification (4.8). This is a Physics-only topic. You need to understand how the Earth's atmosphere affects different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and why this is important for astronomy.

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The Electromagnetic Spectrum — A Recap

The electromagnetic spectrum is the full range of electromagnetic waves, ordered by wavelength (or frequency). All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed in a vacuum — the speed of light (c = 3 x 10 to the power 8 m/s).