Final answer:
When light passes through Earth's atmosphere, it interacts with different gases and particles, causing certain wavelengths to be absorbed or scattered. By analyzing these patterns in the spectra, astronomers can learn about the composition of gases in the atmosphere.
Step-by-step explanation:
Atmospheric Effects on Spectral Response
When light passes through Earth's atmosphere, it interacts with different gases and particles, causing certain wavelengths to be absorbed or scattered. This creates patterns in the spectra of light that reach the surface of the Earth. The absorption spectrum shows the specific pattern of absorption for a substance, indicating the wavelengths that are absorbed by the gas. For example, ozone blocks ultraviolet (UV) light, while Rayleigh scattering makes the sky blue by scattering blue light. By analyzing these patterns, astronomers can learn about the composition of gases in the atmosphere. This information helps in studying Earth's climate, as well as in analyzing the atmospheres of other planets and exoplanets.