vöröseltolódások

Vöröseltolódások, or redshift in English, is a fundamental concept in astronomy and physics describing the stretching of light waves towards longer, redder wavelengths. This phenomenon occurs when the source of light is moving away from the observer. The faster the source recedes, the greater the redshift. Conversely, when a light source moves towards an observer, its light waves are compressed, resulting in a blueshift, where wavelengths become shorter and bluer.

The most significant application of redshift is in understanding the expansion of the universe. Observations by Edwin Hubble in the late 1920s revealed that light from distant galaxies is almost universally redshifted, indicating they are moving away from us. This systematic redshift, known as Hubble's Law, provides strong evidence for the Big Bang theory and the ongoing expansion of spacetime itself. The amount of redshift in a galaxy's spectrum directly correlates with its distance, allowing astronomers to measure vast cosmic distances.

Redshift is not solely due to the Doppler effect, which describes the change in frequency of a wave in relation to an observer. In cosmology, the primary cause of redshift for distant galaxies is the expansion of space between the emitting galaxy and the observer. As space expands, the light waves traveling through it are stretched. This cosmological redshift is a key tool for studying the evolution of the universe, the formation of structures, and the nature of dark energy. Other types of redshift include gravitational redshift, caused by gravity's effect on spacetime, and kinematic redshift, which is the classical Doppler effect.