11/16/2023 0 Comments Red shift![]() ![]() If it's moving toward us, it's shifting toward blue. ![]() ![]() So when light is moving away from us, it's shifting toward the red end of the spectrum. Why do we call the redshift red and the blueshift blue? It's not just that we think it's more poetic than calling the short wave "Stan" and the long waves "Harry." On the electromagnetic spectrum, red light has a low frequency, and blue light has a high frequency. So there you go! Redshift is light that is moving away from you. The short, approaching light is called a blueshift, while the longer, receding light is called a redshift. As they move away from us, the light waves elongate and shift into lower frequencies. As they approach us, the waves of light compress and have higher frequencies. As they move farther, they spread out, and the pitch lowers. As a sound moves toward you, the sound waves are shorter and will have a higher frequency. What do you hear? As the car approaches from far away, the sound is at a higher register, but as it speeds past you, the pitch dips lower. But the driver is laying on the horn as she passes. Your pal spots a car making its way down the road, and you've cleared to the sidewalk. But don't bother getting in the car and buckling up pretend you're a street urchin playing stickball in your neighborhood. To get a feel for redshift, it might be best to move away from light (pun intended) and recall a similar audio effect that we experience often in our daily lives. Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |