redshift

noun

red·​shift ˈred-ˈshift 

: a displacement of the spectrum of a celestial body toward longer wavelengths that is a consequence of the Doppler effect or the gravitational field of the source

also : a measurement of a celestial body's redshift equal to the ratio of the displacement of a spectral line to its known unshifted wavelength and used especially to calculate the body's distance from earth

redshifted

ˈred-ˈshif-təd 

adjective

Examples of redshift in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The instrument picked up hydrogen peaks in these areas and Phelps was even able to observe a small redshift suggesting that these clouds must be moving away from Earth. —The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024

Astronomers can tell their ages based on the stretching of their light into longer wavelengths, known as redshift. —Rebecca Boyle, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024

Euclid, a European telescope that launched last year, will determine galactic redshifts, enabling useful comparisons with JWST findings. —Rebecca Boyle, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024

But the redshift of light that's traveled for billions of years will shift these photons into the infrared area of the spectrum, which is what Webb was designed to detect. —John Timmer, Ars Technica, 31 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

redshift

noun

red·​shift ˈred-ˈshift 

: displacement of a spectrum especially of a heavenly body toward longer wavelengths