redshift

Also known as red shift

thumb|upright|Spectral line|Absorption lines in the [[visible spectrum of a supercluster of distant galaxies (right), as compared to absorption lines in the visible spectrum of the Sun (left). Arrows indicate redshift. Wavelength increases up towards the red and beyond (frequency decreases).]]

AI overview

Redshift is the stretching of light waves from distant galaxies, causing their light to shift toward the red end of the spectrum—a shift that scientists can measure by comparing spectral lines to those of nearby objects like the Sun. This phenomenon matters because it helps astronomers determine how far away galaxies are and provides evidence about the expansion of the universe.

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Commons category: Redshift
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~37 min read

Article

25 sections

Contents

History
Physical origins
Doppler effect
Cosmological <span class="anchor" id="Cosmological"></span>
Distinguishing between cosmological and local effects
Gravitational redshift
Summary table
Measurement
Observations in astronomy
Local observations
Extragalactic observations
Highest redshifts
Redshift surveys
Effects from physical optics or radiative transfer
Blueshift
Doppler blueshift
Gravitational blueshift
Blue outliers
Cosmological blueshift
See also
References
Sources
Articles
Books
External links

In physics, a redshift is an increase in the wavelength, or equivalently, a decrease in the frequency, of electromagnetic radiation (such as light). The opposite change, a decrease in wavelength and increase in frequency and energy, is known as a blueshift.