an instrument used to obtain an image of the sun in light of a particular wavelength, such as calcium or hydrogen, to show the distribution of the element over the surface and in the solar atmosphere. The image obtained is a spectroheliogram
Derived forms
spectroheliographic (ˌspectroˌhelioˈgraphic)
adjective
Word origin
C19: from spectro- + helio- + -graph
spectroheliograph in American English
(ˌspɛktroʊˈhiliəˌgræf; ˌspɛktroʊˈhiliəˌgrɑf)
US
noun
an instrument acting like a filter, for photographing the sun using light from only one spectral line, usually from hydrogen (red) or calcium (violet)