Spectral energy distribution

A spectral energy distribution (SED) is a plot of energy versus frequency or wavelength of light (not to be confused with a 'spectrum' of flux density vs frequency or wavelength).

[1] It is used in many branches of astronomy to characterize astronomical sources.

In infrared astronomy, SEDs can be used to classify young stellar objects.

The count rates observed from a given astronomical radiation source have no simple relationship to the flux from that source, such as might be incident at the top of the Earth's atmosphere.

[2] This lack of a simple relationship is due in no small part to the complex properties of radiation detectors.

The SED of M51 (upper right) obtained by combining data at many different wavelengths, e.g. UV, visible, and infrared (left)