| Term: | Flash spectra |
| Definition: |
The spectrum of the solar chromosphere obtained during a solar eclipse in the instant before or after totality. In the flash spectrum the usual solar absorption lines are replaced with bright emission lines. This is because in that very short interval only the photosphere is eclipsed by the Moon, and not the chromosphere. The American astronomer Charles A. Young was the first to observe it during the solar eclipse of 1870 (December 22) in Spain. |