Astronomers and astrophysicists often refer to blue-shift and red-shift.

PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Astrophysics · Astrophysics

Problem

Astronomers and astrophysicists often refer to blue-shift and red-shift. (1) Outline what is meant by the terms *blue-shift* and *red-shift* and suggest why they are called as such. (2) In what way has our knowledge of the Doppler effect been able to help our understanding of cosmology? (3) Light from a distant star is observed using a telescope and a diffraction grating. One spectral line from the star is measured at a wavelength of 580.9 nm, whereas the same spectral line measured in a laboratory has a wavelength of 527.0 nm. What can you say about the relative motion of the distant star and the Earth? (4) Light from a distant star is observed using a telescope and a diffraction grating. One spectral line from the star is measured at a wavelength of 580.9 nm, whereas the same spectral line measured in a laboratory has a wavelength of 527.0 nm. Calculate the speed at which the distant star is moving relative to the Earth.

Related theory

Browse the problem library