INTRODUCTION Many scientists believe the universe was formed from a singular cosmic identity PARAGRAPH ONE – redshift Redshift -and blueshift- describe how light changes as objects in space move closer or further away from earth and other planets. American astronomer, Edwin Hubble was the first to theorise and illustrate the redshift phenomenon and link it to the thought of an expanding universe. His observations, revealed in 1929, showed that nearly all galaxies he observed are moving away from
expansion of matter from a state of extremely high density and temperature caused a big “bang”. To current cosmological theories was the event that caused the universe. There are abundant pieces of evidence that support the Big Bang Theory, including redshift of galaxies and an expanding universe, cosmic microwave background radiation, and the abundance of elements from the Big Bang. The first piece of evidence
been constantly expanding and still is until today. Since the discovery of Quasars scientist have been able to further prove Big Bang Theory due to the redshift of the Quasars. Quasars are extremely red-shifted hence why Maarten Schmidt and other scientists had such a hard time identifying what they actually were, but it is this powerful redshift that helps prove the theory. Since Quasars are so red-shifted it means that they are always moving away from us, which shows that the universe is expanding
The Success of the Big Bang Theory At the beginning of time, there was nothing. In a sudden “bang”, the entire Universe and all of the energy in it began to expand outwards from one point. According to many scientists, this is how the Universe began. This theory is known as the Big Bang theory, and it is one of the most widely accepted explanations for the origin on the universe, both among scientists and ordinary people. Part of the theory's success is the strong evidence supporting it; however
Redshifts are used to track the rotation of the galaxy and measure the expansion rate of the universe. The redshift is better explained with the help of the Doppler Effect or otherwise known as the Doppler Shift. This effect states that the wavelength and frequency of a wave changes for an observer who is moving
We know for certainty that our universe exists, however, being the curious beings we are we want to know how the universe came to be. There are many theories out there that try to explain it. One of the most known and taught of theories is the Big Bang Theory. This theory suggests that 13.7 billion years ago all the matter in the universe came from a singularity (zones which defy the current understanding that we have of physics; they are thought to have infinite density and extreme heat). Unexpectedly
The Big Bang Theory according to National Geographic was a massive blast that had occurred 10 to 20 billions of years ago. It allowed all the universe’s known matter and energy, including space and time to evolve from an unknown type of energy, that has only been unraveled up intill the big bang. The theory believes that at the instant of that very second after the big bang had happened, the universe started to increase at an unclear rate of speed, that has not never been recorded. From what was
“Eventually, we reach the utmost limits of our telescopes. There, we measure shadows and search among ghostly errors of measurement for landmarks that are scarcely more substantial,” is a quote about Hubble’s views on discovery and exploration of the universe (Hubble, 1936). Edwin Powell Hubble was born in Marshfield, Missouri, USA on November 29 1889 but later moved to Chicago with his family, where he completed his post secondary education and obtained an undergraduate degree in mathematics and
“Why is the night sky dark?”(Hienrich) For thousands of years this question, also known as Olber’s paradox, has been asked. Astronomers are constantly growing closer to the answer but still no one has yet found a finite answer. As scientists relentlessly collect data hoping to find some clue as to the answer to this riddle we seem to realize that the answer may be because of something that is too mind blowing for us to comprehend. Several explanations have been considered over the years. But as of
For centuries humans have sat outside and looked into the night sky and wondered why or how. It’s been on the minds of simpletons, philosophers and scientists alike since the beginning of time, and yet no one really has a definite answer. However, all this discussion and debate has lead to some interesting discoveries, and those theories that have stood the test of time have included both scientific and religious perspectives. One of the most famous and widely accepted of these theories is the Big
Weaknesses of the Big Bang Theory The big bang theory was first suggested by a Belgian priest named Georges Lemaitre in the 1920s, when he suggested that the universe began from a single primordial atom. However the big bang theory was born from the observations which were made by Edwin Hubble that other galaxies were moving from earth at a high speed in different directions. This theory was further boosted by the Arno and Penzias Wilson’s discovery of cosmic microwave radiation, which is believed
Presently, the Big Bang theory is the most logical scientific explanation of how the universe began. The majority of cosmologists favor the Big Bang theory and the idea that the expanding universe had an initial, incredibly hot and dense start (Peterson 232). According to the Big Bang theory, at one point in time, more than 12 billion years ago, matter was condensed in a single place, and a huge explosion scattered matter out is all directions (“Big Bang Theory” 403). At the moment of its origin
the siren pitch decreases. If everything in the universe is moving apart from everything else, then those light waves should move further apart and get longer. Longer wavelengths are seemed as red, and that’s why it is called the red shift. This redshift of light gives scientists information on the speed and direction that a star is moving. This tells scientists that stars are not only moving away from us, but they are also moving away from each other. If the universe is currently growing, then the
The Origin of the Universe Since the dawn of intelligent man, humanity has speculated about the origins of the universe. There is evidence, which indicates that the universe started around 15 billion years ago. This is probably the greatest discovery imaginable; however, the universe still seems to be a very controversial subject. Most scientists agree that there was a beginning but there is a lot of speculation of how it (the universe) actually started. The much-celebrated Greek philosopher
compared these distances with their electromagnetic spectra. As it turned out, more distant galaxies had the features in their spectra (spectral lines) shifted to lower frequencies in a linear manner: that is, more distant galaxies exhibit greater redshifts. The only known mechanism for generating a spectral shift is the Doppler effect, which means that distant galaxies are receding from us. This suggests that in the past, galaxies were much closer to us than they are now: simply extrapolate the
org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Lambda-Cold_Dark_Matter%2C_Accelerated_Expansion_of_the_Universe%2C_Big_Bang-Inflation.jpg/800px-Lambda-Cold_Dark_Matter%2C_Accelerated_Expansion_of_the_Universe%2C_Big_Bang-Inflation.jpg>. Figure 7. Wright, Ned. Las Campanas Redshift Survey. Digital image. Talk Origins. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2014. . Figure 8. NASA. Digital image. Talk Origin. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2014. . Figure 9. First Law of Thermodynamics. Digital image. Tutors Globe. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2014. . Figure
“We used to look up at the sky and wonder about our place in the stars, now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt” (Interstellar). No one knows, or may ever know for certain, how the universe ever came into existence. Cosmologists have uncovered multiple viable theories that explain the advent of the universe, but we assume that there can only be one. In 1927, Georges Lemaître suggested that the universe began at a moment in time and from there everything expanded exponentially
100 years old, to a close. Attempts were then made to measure the radius of curvature of space. By 1936 Hubble, together with Milton Humason, showed beyond doubt the linear velocity-distance relationship (redshift-distance relationship). This led to the formulation of the Empirical Redshift Distance Law for galaxies, now days known as Hubble's Law.The law states that the greater the distance between any two galaxies, the greater their relative speed of separation ie Recessional Velocity = Hubble's
question of the nature of the galaxies. Edwin Hubble's distribution of galaxies was determined to be homogeneous in distance. Edwin wanted to classify the galaxies according to their content, distance, shape, and pattern of brightness. By observing redshifts Edwin saw that galaxies were moving away from each other at a rate constant to the distance between them (this is known as Hubble's Law).
know that a galaxy is approaching or receding by observing at the spectrum of its light. If its spectrum is toward the shorter wavelength, called Blueshift, then the galaxy is approaching and if its spectrum is toward the longer wavelength, called redshift, then the galaxy is receding. The amount of the shift depends on the speed the object is approaching or receding. Slipher observed more galaxies whose spectrums were redshifted than those whose spectrums were blueshifted. Further support emerged