ism ▁to ▁split ▁white ▁light ▁into ▁a ▁spectrum ▁of ▁color , ▁and ▁Fra un ho fer ' s ▁high - quality ▁pr isms ▁allowed ▁scient ists ▁to ▁see ▁dark ▁lines ▁of ▁an ▁unknown ▁origin . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s , ▁Gustav ▁Kirch hoff ▁and ▁Robert ▁Bun sen ▁described ▁the ▁phen omena ▁behind ▁these ▁dark ▁lines . ▁Hot ▁solid ▁objects ▁produce ▁light ▁with ▁a ▁continuous ▁spectrum , ▁hot ▁g ases ▁emit ▁light ▁at ▁specific ▁w avel ength s , ▁and ▁hot ▁solid ▁objects ▁surrounded ▁by ▁cool er ▁g ases ▁show ▁a ▁near - continu ous ▁spectrum ▁with ▁dark ▁lines ▁corresponding ▁to ▁the ▁emission ▁lines ▁of ▁the ▁g ases . ▁By ▁comparing ▁the ▁absor ption ▁lines ▁of ▁the ▁Sun ▁with ▁emission ▁spect ra ▁of ▁known ▁g ases , ▁the ▁chemical ▁composition ▁of ▁stars ▁can ▁be ▁determined . ▁ ▁The ▁major ▁Fra un ho fer ▁lines , ▁and ▁the ▁elements ▁with ▁which ▁they ▁are ▁associated , ▁appear ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁table . ▁ ▁Design ations ▁from ▁the ▁early ▁Bal mer ▁Series ▁are ▁shown ▁in ▁parentheses . ▁▁▁▁ ▁Not ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁elements ▁in ▁the ▁Sun ▁were ▁immediately ▁identified . ▁ ▁Two ▁examples ▁are ▁listed ▁below . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 8 ▁Norman ▁Lock yer ▁and ▁Pierre ▁J ans sen ▁independently ▁observed ▁a ▁line ▁next ▁to ▁the ▁sod ium ▁double t ▁( D 1 ▁and ▁D 2 ) ▁which ▁Lock yer ▁determined ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁new ▁element . ▁He ▁named ▁it ▁Hel ium , ▁but ▁it ▁wasn ' t ▁until ▁ 1