Colors have been derived from the observed optical spectrum of Mars and Jupiter. It is known that the planets and the Moon emit re ected sunlight and thus their spectra are similar to the spectrum of solar radiation. The question was then why is the color of Mars different from that of other planets, i.e. red, although it would share the same spectrum of re ected sunlight. Can one derive color from the spectrum? Therefore, we observed the optical spectra of the scattered sunlight in day time for the Moon and Mars using a 1-D array spectrograph on the 12-inch reflecting telescope in the Korea Science Academy of KAIST in Busan, Korea. We adopted the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) in 1931 of three spectral sensitivity peaks for the human eye in short, medium and long wavelengths in visible light. The observed spectra were imposed on CIE sensitivities and the color detected by the human eye was derived. The Mars spectrum represents red color and the Moon white. It is a similar color to that which a human would see. This result means that color is easily derived from astronomical spectra. The appearance of the planets surface can be determined for Mars, which is the result of iron oxide.

We summarize the progress on the rest-frame optical spectroscopy of quasars at 3 2.5−5μm . This spectral window has been utilized for detecting redshifted Hα emission lines of our high redshift subsample of quasars. From the calculated emission line widths and luminosities we measured supermassive black hole masses using well calibrated optical mass estimators. Science topics regarding optical based black hole masses at high-z are discussed.

We report the results of our high resolution optical spectroscopic monitoring campaign (⋋ = 3800 ~ 8800 Å, R = 30000 - 45000) of the new FU Orionis-type object HBC 722. We observed HBC 722 with the BOES 1.8-m telescope between November 26 and December 29, 2010, and FU Orionis itself on January 26, 2011. We detect a number of previously unreported high-resolution K I and Ca II lines beyond 7500 Å. We resolve the Hα and Ca II line profiles into three velocity components, which we attribute to both disk and outflow. The increased accretion during outburst can heat the disk to produce the relatively narrow absorption feature and launch outflows appearing as high velocity blue and red-shifted broad features.

A method for evaluating bulk sensitive structural characteristics of unpurified, as-purified, and acid treated single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was described in the present study. The optical spectra of SWNT solutions were well resolved after prolonged sonication and they were correlated to the diameter and the distribution of nanotubes. The acid-treated SWNTs were similar to as-purified SWNTs in terms of catalyst residue, radial breathing mode (RBM) in the Raman spectra, and the first band gap energy of semiconducting tubes in the optical spectra. The solution phase optical spectra were more sensitive to changes in the small diameter and metallic tubes after the acid treatment than were the RBM spectra.

This paper is a part of the series on positron annihilation spectroscopy of two-phase diffuse gas-and-dust aggregates, such as interstellar medium and the young remnants of type II supernovae. The results obtained from prior studies were applied here to detect the relationship between the processes of the annihilation of the K-shell electrons and incident positrons, and the effects of these processes on the optical spectra of their respective atoms. Particular attention was paid to the Doppler broadening of their optical lines. The relationship between the atomic mass of the elements and the Doppler broadening, ΔλD (Å), of their emission lines as produced in these processes was established. This relationship is also illustrated for isotope sets of light elements, namely 3 6 7 7 9 10 11 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 He, Li, Li, Be, Be, B, and B. A direct correlation between the γ-line luminosity ( Eγ =1.022 MeV) and D Δλ (Å) was proved virtually. Qualitative estimates of the structure of such lines depending on the positron velocity distribution function, f(E), were made. The results are presented in tabular form and can be used to set up the objectives of further studies on active galactic nuclei and young remnants of type II supernovae.