Detecting Extraterrestrial Waste Some people have suggested disposing of our nuclear waste products in the sun. However, this is a major
safety issue, because the launch vehicle could explode and disperse nuclear waste in a wide area. Suppose
that plutonium-239, a major nuclear waste product, has major absorption lines at 0.62 micrometers and 1.37
micrometers, with many other minor absorption lines. Using what you know about spectroscopy, describe
how such waste disposal in a star could leave lingering evidence in space, even in distant galaxies. Note that
the light from stars may be redshifted or blueshifted because of the star's relative motion to other objects in
the galaxy.