Since the end of the 1970s the importance of film photography has decreased in the field of astronomical research. It is gradually preferred CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensors. This type of sensor is at the origin of digital photography. From the end of the 1970s it has an advantage over film photography: it can capture much weaker lights. The images do not need to be printed on paper to be studied or enlarged, so there is no loss of information.
In addition, the appearance of radio telescopes and radio astronomy in the twentieth century led to new measurements on celestial bodies. Spectroscopic analysis of atomic emissions and their different isotopes during quantum jumps becomes possible. A quantum leap is a change that occurs in the atom itself, at the level of the electrons. They are the source of electromagnetic emissions, including light. Changes in the state of atoms become identifiable, bringing astronomy into a new era.
