Continuous Solar Spectra Name: Justin C. My query is: why is it
assumed that the light coming regions of the Sun contains a
continuous spectrum? (This assumption must made if we are to
assume all dark lines are due to absorption at some in the
journey of the light; If light has been absorbed it must have
been there in the first place!). Is it just that there are so
many different possible jumps (because there are so many
elements present in the Sun) all wavelengths of photons are
emitted? You raise a valid question. Indeed the temperature of
the Sun (or other "hot" star) is treated as a blackbody radiator
because the temperature of the "inside" is a very hot plasma (a
collection of charged particles). On the surface, there are
sunspots (storms) that are cooler and appear "black" compared to
the surroundings but are still bright and hot compared to
"normal" terrestrial temperatures. It is known from lab
experiments that hot plasmas produce essentially a continuum of
radiation, so that is some of the data suppo