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A Galaxy's red-shift can be used to determine how fast it is travelling away from you. The opposite is "blue-shift" which is what happens when the Galaxy is travelling towards you.

The first astronomers, such as Edwin Hubble, to analyse the light coming from distant galaxies discovered that almost all of them were red-shifted, indicating that they were almost all heading away from us. This was the first indication that the universe was expanding.

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Q: How do red shifts were used by cosmologists to determine that the universe is expanding?
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If all galaxies began to show blue shifts what would this change indicate about the fate of the univerese?

That would be a sign that the Universe is contracting, instead of expanding as it currently is.That would be a sign that the Universe is contracting, instead of expanding as it currently is.That would be a sign that the Universe is contracting, instead of expanding as it currently is.That would be a sign that the Universe is contracting, instead of expanding as it currently is.


Why scientist don't expect to find galaxies that have large blue shifts?

This should be because of the fact that the Universe is expanding. You see a blueshift when objects move closer to you. Other than super distant galaxies, most galaxies will not measure to be a blueshift due to the fact that the Universe is expanding and accelerating.


What word supports the theory that the universe is expanding?

Theories explain evidence. There is considerable evidence our universe is expanding. The primary evidence is the red shift of the light from distant galaxies. The further a galaxy is from our local group, the more the light is shifted towards the infrared end of the spectrum. The theory of General Relativity also predicts our universe should be expanding.


Who stated that the universe is still expanding?

Hubble did not conclude that the Universe is expanding. Hubble thought the red shift indicated a unrecognized principle of nature. Hubble's constant actually shows the universe is bounded at R=150kMpc/31 and H= c/R = 62km/s/Mpc. The increase red shift velocity indicates a decreasing universe.


Why scientist don't expect to find galaxies that have large blue shifts because of the big bang theory?

The observations show that the Universe is expanding. The farther a galaxy is away from us, the faster it moves away from us. Galaxies also have individual velocities, compared to their "local space", but those tend to be slow (in the order a few hundred kilometers per second), and at greater distances, the general expansion of the Universe dominates.

Related questions

The redshift of light from distant galaxy provides evidence that the universe is?

The red shifts show the galaxies are under centripetal force and the red shift indicates the centrifugal force. This indicates that the universe is in continuity, the centripetal and centrifugal forces are in balance.


Based on the observed red shifts in the spectral lines of distant galaxies?

Astronomers conclude that the universe is expanding, because wavelengths are increasing.


If all galaxies began to show blue shifts what would this change indicate about the fate of the univerese?

That would be a sign that the Universe is contracting, instead of expanding as it currently is.That would be a sign that the Universe is contracting, instead of expanding as it currently is.That would be a sign that the Universe is contracting, instead of expanding as it currently is.That would be a sign that the Universe is contracting, instead of expanding as it currently is.


What will happen if the red and blue shifts of planets in the world disappeared?

First of all, we don't see blue shifts, just red shifts, meaning an expanding, not contracting universe. Second of all, these red shifts come from stars in the universe, not planets in the world. What would happen if the red shifts disappeared? Well, there'd be a whole bunch of excited scientists, that's for sure, because that would mean that the universe will have gotten as big as it's going to get and is now going to start collapsing back onto itself.


Why scientist don't expect to find galaxies that have large blue shifts?

This should be because of the fact that the Universe is expanding. You see a blueshift when objects move closer to you. Other than super distant galaxies, most galaxies will not measure to be a blueshift due to the fact that the Universe is expanding and accelerating.


More distant galaxies have greater red shifts what does that indcate about the universe?

That they are moving away from us. Edwin Hubble discovered that the farther away they are the faster they move away from us. This led to the realization that the Universe is expanding, and so to Big Bang theory.


What word supports the theory that the universe is expanding?

Theories explain evidence. There is considerable evidence our universe is expanding. The primary evidence is the red shift of the light from distant galaxies. The further a galaxy is from our local group, the more the light is shifted towards the infrared end of the spectrum. The theory of General Relativity also predicts our universe should be expanding.


Who stated that the universe is still expanding?

Hubble did not conclude that the Universe is expanding. Hubble thought the red shift indicated a unrecognized principle of nature. Hubble's constant actually shows the universe is bounded at R=150kMpc/31 and H= c/R = 62km/s/Mpc. The increase red shift velocity indicates a decreasing universe.


Supported by observed red shifts in the spectra of galaxies?

This redshift is a strong indication that the Universe is expanding. The only reasonable explanation of this redshift is the Doppler effect, and this means that the galaxies are moving away from us. The greater their distance from us, the faster they move away.


What do scientists study to determine shifts in wavelength of light?

It is a spectrum


What does a blue shift of the light from a star indicate?

When light shifts toward the blue end of the spectrum, it is shifting in the direction of shorter wavelengths. This happens when a luminous object, such as a star, is moving toward you. This motion tends to compress the waves which it emits. Stars that are moving away from the observer will instead exhibit a red shift. The waves are stretching out, because of the motion. And because the universe is expanding, red shifts are by far the most common.


What does a blue shift of light from a star indicate?

When light shifts toward the blue end of the spectrum, it is shifting in the direction of shorter wavelengths. This happens when a luminous object, such as a star, is moving toward you. This motion tends to compress the waves which it emits. Stars that are moving away from the observer will instead exhibit a red shift. The waves are stretching out, because of the motion. And because the universe is expanding, red shifts are by far the most common.