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Reading the Rainbow: Distance

How do astronomers learn about something in space that is very far away? In addition to images, they study the light from cosmic objects like planets, stars, and galaxies. Astronomers spread light out to look at the detailed rainbow spectrum (plural: spectra). Light carries a lot of information, if you learn to “read” its rainbow! In this video, discover how astronomers read spectra to measure the vast distances of space.

Music: “Ambynt,” by Steve Combs, CC BY 4.0 license

  • Release Date
    July 8, 2021
  • Credit
    Animation: NASA, ESA, CSA, Dani Player (STScI); Music: Steve Combs

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  • Video: 1280 × 720, 30 FPS
    mp4 (14.63 MB)
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    mp4 (26.48 MB)
  • Audio Description
    mp3 (182.04 KB)
  • Audio Description
    mp4 (27.89 MB)
  • Audio Description
    doc (19.86 KB)
  • Captions: No Speech
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  • Image: Title slate, 3840 × 2160
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Details

Last Updated
Aug 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Animation Credit

NASA, ESA, CSA, Dani Player (STScI)

Music Credit

Steve Combs

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