Stellar spectroscopy in ground-based ultraviolet. I: Observational technique

We present a historical note on the main spectroscopy instruments close to the short-wave boundary of the optical atmospheric window. Ground-based ultraviolet observations imposemore stringent requirements to the optics of telescopes and spectrographs, as well as to the calibration means. We have to bear in mind the seasonal variations of the optical properties of the Earth’s atmosphere. We consider the capabilities of ultraviolet observations with high spectral resolution on the 6-m BTA telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences.