These pages provide information on a do-it-yourself (DIY) hand-held spectrometer for educational use, called the Aruna-1. Its design is rugged, low cost, and simple enough for use by elementary school students. The Aruna-1 is useful for observing the spectra of various light sources:
The Aruna-1 has sufficient resolution to view the
Fraunhofer lines
in the solar spectrum. Below is an image of the solar spectrum from
the Aruna-1 spectrometer, photographed with an electronic 35mm camera using manual
focus and exposure settings. The spectrometer was aimed well away from the sun, at
a patch of sky on a clear day. In addition to viewing spectra of different light
sources, recording the spectra with a suitable camera also allows for quantitative
analysis. For an example, using the spectrum below, see the Learning Activities page.
WARNING: Aiming the spectrometer directly at the Sun, into a laser, or at a strong ultraviolet light source, while viewing, may result in permanent eye damage. Children should always be supervised by knowledgeable adults when aiming the spectrometer at sources of light.