Spectroscopy of a Distant Galaxy

Using the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) in Arizona, an optical spectrum of a distant and faint galaxy is produced. The instrument MODS is applied in observations, and as the name LBT gives, two separate telescopes that work together have their own MODS installed and named MODS1 and MODS2. With the 6x6 arcminute field of view, the instrument allows to see distant and/or faint objects including the target galaxy in our project. There are four total slits on each instrument that can produce spectra. Once the target falls in one of the slits, the incoming light is divided into different wavelength, just how all the other spectra are produced. Both MODS have separate blue and red channels that can amplify the light source to more specific wavelengths such as H-alpha and H-beta, and thus allows us to figure out the current status of the galaxy.