red-shift

• • red shift describes the observed increase in the wavelength of light from most distant galaxies
• • the further away the galaxies, the increased wavelength of light
  • the longer wavelengths have shifted towards the red end of the spectrum
  • this suggests the source of light is moving away from the Earth
• • more distant galaxies have greater red shifts than closer galaxies
  • this suggests that more distant galaxies are moving away faster than closer galaxies
• • the furthest galaxies are moving away the fastest
  • this suggests that the universe is expanding from a very small region
  • the universe is expanding at a greater rate
  • this supports the Big Bang Theory, that the universe started from an explosion, which caused space to expand, and the expansion is still continuing
• • the Big Bang suggests that the universe began from a small region that was extremely hot and dense
  • it suggests that it exploded, and space starting expanding, and is still continuing to expand
• • new observations from 1998 suggest that galaxies are moving away at a greater rate
• • there is still much about the universe that is not understood, such as dark matter and dark energy
  • dark matter is the unknown substance that holds galaxies together, that does not emit any electromagnetic radiation
  • dark energy is responsible for the accelerated expansion of the universe
• • new observations undergo peer review
  • peer review is important because it detects bias