And for bonus points, what do these "shifts" tell us about the universe?
2006-09-13 09:51:29 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Stars in motion...
Red shift is seen as a longer wavelength, thus the star seems to be moving away from the observer. A blue/violet shifted image would be observed from an object moving toward the observer, thus shortening the wavelength of the light.
Light created by various atomic events is known to have exact wavelengths, varying with the cause of the light being observed.
The light from most stars, when viewed with a spectrum analyser, shows a series of lines of light at certain wavelengths. By comparing the lines with the known lines from "standard samples," we find that almost all stars and other objects around us are red-shifted, so they seem to be moving away from us, or we are moving away from them.
...For the unbelievers, I taught labs for Astronomy class at a Christian university. Many scientists ARE CHRISTIANS.
2006-09-13 09:53:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
When stars or other objects in space are viewed though an ultraviolet telescope it produces two types of light signatures depending on the direction the object is moving in. If the object is moving away from the source it produces a blue light called "blue shift" if it is moving toward the source it produces a red light called "red shift". This basically tells us that the universe is in motion. This information also supports the idea that the universe had a beginning (big bang theory), as opposed to the constant universe theory, which since has been deemed untrue. And yes, I am Christian. I doubt many of the atheists know this. Atheists are some of the most uneducated people out there. They believe everything other dumb atheists say about science and God without examining things for themselves. What's your point about this question? If anything, it supports the idea that God created the universe because if the universe is expanding at a certain rate, then we can measure backward to when the universe began.
2006-09-13 09:59:04 · answer #2 · answered by blizgamer333 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Blue shift is when a wave in the electromagnetic spectrum shifts toward the blue side. This means that the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave becomes shorter and has a higher frequency, as the color blue has the shortest wavelength and the highest frequency.
Red shift is exactly the opposite. It is when an electromagnetic wave shifts to the red end of the spectrum, meaning that its wavelength is much longer (because red has the longest wavelength in the spectrum) and has much shorter frequency.
The reason that these are important is because red shift indicates to astronomers and physicists that the universe is expanding. Blue shift would mean that a galaxy is coming closer to Earth because of the Doppler effect, in which the frequency of the wave gets greater and greater as the electromagnetic wave approaches.
It is also important because both support the idea that the universe had a beginning, which is supposed to cast doubt on an idea of a constant universe. Christians don't believe in a necessarily constant universe, though. I'm a Christian, and I don't really see much of a problem with the Big Bang Theory right now. It doesn't exclude God.
The universe is interesting. To think that we are like specks of dust when compared to the vastness of our universe.
2006-09-13 09:59:04 · answer #3 · answered by l;wksjf;aslkd 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Doesn't it have something to do with stars and their orbits? And the universe never ending? Like a blue shift is when a galaxy is created, red is when it ends....OK maybe I'm just being stupid here...
2006-09-13 09:55:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well! In our church it would be unseemly for any proper lady to wear a blue shift - for obvious political reasons. But as you probably know, shifts, regardless of color, are fairly loose dresses that modest women can wear without fear of too much exposure.
2006-09-13 09:58:25 · answer #5 · answered by JAT 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know that red shift helps to determine just how far and old other galaxies are. Red light travels longer.
2006-09-13 10:01:30 · answer #6 · answered by rangedog 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'll ask one of the scientists at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in the Vatican, the place all scientists have to go to prove their work to the Pope in order to claim their work is genuine before they can publish the results. LOL
2006-09-13 10:06:02 · answer #7 · answered by Seneca 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
An Astronomer who is also a Christian, is what you are looking for I think. Although why he/she has to be a Christian and an Astronomer to improve the answer is beyond me.
2006-09-13 10:31:34 · answer #8 · answered by Orchid 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Doubtful.
2006-09-13 09:53:01 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
yes it is when the light from a star is bent and the light appears as a blue or red shift.
How come Albert Einstein once said "the more I look into space, the more I know that there is a God and he is good."
2006-09-13 09:55:25 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋