Infographic: Spectral Coma

I created this infographic in 2022, as part of my efforts to educate spectroscopic observers through my role as AVSpec validator.

Spectral coma plagues spectra taken with slitless diffraction gratings such as the Star Analyzer, and special handling is required to mitigate its effects. Unfortunately, users of slitless diffraction gratings are often brand new to the field, and don’t yet know what to look for or how to fix it. This infographic attempts to provide those users with a thorough and intuitive explanation of the issue, its cause, and solutions.