What happens to a star's light wavelengths when it is moving toward our planet?
Answer
Wavelengths shift toward the bluer, shorter end
When a star is moving toward an observer on Earth, the light waves it emits are compressed due to this relative motion. This compression shortens the wavelength of the light observed, causing the entire spectrum to shift toward the blue end—a phenomenon explicitly termed blueshift. This shortening of wavelength is the spectral signature indicating an approach velocity component.
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