Two Spectrographs for Small Telescopes

During the past 15 years or so, the appearance of new technology in the commercial marketplace has opened up an array of opportunities for those with access to small telescopes to explore the sky in new ways, educate others about astronomy, and participate in astronomical research. Perhaps the most significant of these new opportunities is in the area of spectroscopy. Spectroscopy has long been the primary tool in astronomical research. Many, if not most, of the major astronomical discoveries have been based upon spectroscopic observations. These discoveries include temperatures and compositions of stars, planetary atmospheres, nebulae, and comets, as well as relative galaxy and stellar velocities derived from red shifts. Despite the usefulness of spectroscopy as an astronomy tool, until recently, little attention has been given to making spectroscopic observations using small telescopes such as those used by amateur astronomers, small colleges, and high schools.