<p>The chemical composition of stellar atmospheres is usually obtained from <em>absorption</em> lines.</p>

<p>The analysis ingredients are a good spectrum, a model of the temperature and density structure of the stellar atmosphere and a catalogue of atomic and molecular transitions. It is these latter things that I think you seek.</p>

<p>Such "linelists" are found in many places; consisting of line wavelengths, excitation potentials and oscillator strengths.</p>

<p>One very useful compilation/database is the <a href="http://vald.astro.uu.se" rel="nofollow noreferrer">VALD</a> atomic line database. Other catalogues exist for molecular transitions -e.g. <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/425/1/21/997702" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Tennyson &amp; Yurchenko 2012</a>. However, these lists are usually just the starting point. Most spectroscopists tune their lists by a careful comparison with the spectrum of the Sun, or other standard stars.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-04T01:04:13.993Z
2018-03-04T01:04:13.993Z
ProfRob
<p>I know that spectroscopy can be used to analyze the light of stars to determine the elements causing their emissions in the visible spectrum, but this requires knowing the emission spectra of the elements themselves.</p>

<p>Is there a standard source for this data?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-03T20:15:27.663Z
Have you tried searching online for this ?  Here are the results from searching for [online spectra database](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=online+spectra+database&t=lm&ia=web).
StephenG - Help Ukraine
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-03T21:57:42.973Z
The question is not about finding any database, it is about knowing which database professional astronomers consider to be a STANDARD. So, I need help from an astronomer to say which ones they consider to be the standard one or ones.
Tyler Durden
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-05T16:12:19.043Z
They're ALL standard.  This isn't an astronomy question.
Carl Witthoft
<spectroscopy><spectra><spectrometry>
Where can I find a database of elemental spectra?
Tyler Durden
# Where can I find a database of elemental spectra?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-03-03)

I know that spectroscopy can be used to analyze the light of stars to determine the elements causing their emissions in the visible spectrum, but this requires knowing the emission spectra of the elements themselves.

Is there a standard source for this data?

**Tags:** spectroscopy, spectra, spectrometry

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Have you tried searching online for this ?  Here are the results from searching for [online spectra database](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=online+spectra+database&t=lm&ia=web).  
> **username_0**: The question is not about finding any database, it is about knowing which database professional astronomers consider to be a STANDARD. So, I need help from an astronomer to say which ones they consider to be the standard one or ones.  
> **username_2**: They're ALL standard.  This isn't an astronomy question.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-03-04. Score: 3

The chemical composition of stellar atmospheres is usually obtained from *absorption* lines.

The analysis ingredients are a good spectrum, a model of the temperature and density structure of the stellar atmosphere and a catalogue of atomic and molecular transitions. It is these latter things that I think you seek.

Such "linelists" are found in many places; consisting of line wavelengths, excitation potentials and oscillator strengths.

One very useful compilation/database is the [VALD](http://vald.astro.uu.se) atomic line database. Other catalogues exist for molecular transitions -e.g. [Tennyson & Yurchenko 2012](https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/425/1/21/997702). However, these lists are usually just the starting point. Most spectroscopists tune their lists by a careful comparison with the spectrum of the Sun, or other standard stars.


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