They probably used a spectrograph to detect the elements based on light frequencies they detected from their observations.
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They probably used a spectrograph to detect the elements based on light frequencies they detected from their observations.
That is interesting. I had to look up what a spectrograph is. I am guessing it can tell what something is made of from many miles away.
It analyses the light reflected from, or passing through, a material to detect which spectra are absorbed to reveal the elements of that material. It's also how astronomers can tell if exoplanets around distant stars might have a breathable atmosphere.
The things they can do are amazing