I roto i te 1849, whakarerea Rutherfurd tona ako o te ture ki te whakatapua i tona wa noa ki te pūtaiao, rawa astronomy. mahia e ia te mahi paionia i roto i te tātaritanga spectral, ka whakamātau ki te whakaahua rangi. hanga e ia taputapu mo ana akoranga, tae atu ki te micrometer mo te ine whakaahua, he mīhini mo te whakaputa i pai ake i whakahaeretia diffraction gratings, me te taatai tuatahi hangaia motuhake mō te astrophotography.Ma te whakamahi i tona instrumentation, Rutherfurd whakaputaina he kohinga kounga o whakaahua o te Sun, Moon, me ngā aorangi, me te whetu kohinga me whetu ki raro ki te rima nui. i roto i 1862, ka timata ia te hanga rangahau spectroscopic te whakamahi i tona diffraction hou grating. ite ia akomanga motuhake o whetu spectral, i whakanuia e Angelo Seclinchi i roto i Oketopa 1867 ki runga ki te rārangi o wha akomanga stellar.
whakaahua rangi