a set of dark lines appearing in the continuous emission spectrum of the sun. It is caused by the absorption of light of certain wavelengths coming from the hotter region of the sun by elements in the cooler outer atmosphere
Word origin
named after J. von Fraunhofer (1787–1826), German physicist
Fraunhofer lines in American English
(ˈfraʊnˌhoʊfər)
the dark lines visible in the spectrum of the sun or a star
Word origin
after Joseph von Fraunhofer (1787-1826), Bavarian optician, who first mapped them accurately