How does measuring redshift allow scientists to act as observers of time?
Answer
It allows us to view galaxies as they existed billions of years ago
Light travels at a finite speed, meaning it takes time for light to traverse the vast distances of the universe. When astronomers observe light from a highly redshifted, distant galaxy, they are seeing light that began its journey billions of years ago. By the time this light reaches our telescopes, it carries information about the galaxy as it appeared when the universe was in its infancy, essentially serving as a cosmic clock that allows us to look back into the history of galactic evolution.
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