Fraunhofer lines
In 1814 Joseph von Fraunhofer invented the spectroscope. This instrument allowed him to explain how the spectrum of any light will have very specific dark lines (almost like a code) depending on the element which produced it. These came to be known as Fraunhofer lines. This was the birth of astronomical spectroscopy and unlocked a revolution of our understanding of the universe.
Source: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. Hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Cosmos Studios/Fuzzy Door Productions/Fox, 2014.
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Full disclosure, I may occasionally borrow a sentence from Will Durant's Story of Civilization. I absolutely love that collection!