Moving Galaxies
June 29th 2011 07:40
Category: Galaxies
M42
Edwin Powell Hubble is renowned for determining that there are other galaxies in the Universe beyond the Milky Way, and for observing that the universe is expanding at a constant rate.
Edwin Powell Hubble was the guiding force who determined that there are at other galaxies beyond the Milky Way besides our own. He was also noted for observing that the universe is expanding at a constant rate.
We see these magnificent images of gas clouds glowing nebulas distant galaxies and stars.
All these object are moving within the universe our solar system is also on the move heading for the spiral galaxy Andromeda. Thank to the new ATLAS3D project astronomers were able to study 260 individual galaxies.
Using the information form the ATLAS3D project some new and amazing data has emerged.
The ATLAS3D project takes various images of the galaxies imaging the red and blue shift. Put simply the red and shift is like a Doppler effect. For example take a moving car you hear the car’s engine sound approaching you, can hears the sound pitch getting a little higher, as the car goes moving away from you the sound changes gradually to a lower pitch.
By comparing the two sounds form the car’s engine we are able to determine that the car had approached and then passed by.
By using light waves we can also determine if galaxies are receding or approaching us.
A blue shift is any decrease in wavelength the shorter the wavelength the higher the frequency. The opposite effect is known as red shift. When a star’s visible light is seen through a instrument called a spectrograph the elements are seen as bands of colours.
In other words objects moving at speeds towards the observer are noticeably bluer to the naked eye, while objects moving away from an observer as referred to as red shift.
By measuring the red and blue shift astronomers are able to make up a picture of how much or how far a galaxy is rotating or moving. The red and blue shift data helps create computer models on how some galaxies collided and survived continuing to spiral outwards and create new stars.
The measurements of the red and blue shift we can see how fast stars in a galaxy rotate around their galaxy’s central point. The ATLAS3D images and data changes our understanding of galaxies behave and how they evolve over time.
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