Also, I once got an email asking why, in my outer space ideas, I often show red stars. So here is my public response, as my intent here is to educate as well as horrify!
Due to the Doppler effect, the waves which make up the visible light spectrum will be stretched out as an object moves faster and faster away from us (like how the revving of a car engine driving away changes pitch, but for light). Since these objects (stars and galaxies) are indeed moving faster away from us (due to the expansion of the universe), they will appear to "shift" in color towards the red end of the spectrum. Alternatively, our sun would appear the same way if observed from a telescope on their end. This is known as the redshift effect. There is also a blue shift effect that, while uncommon, does occur and so I will occasionally put in a few blue dots as well.
That's a pretty heavily-paraphrased explanation, though. It you'd like to learn more, you can always consult your local library and...wait, are there still public libraries anymore?
Wow...your little Bill Nye impression there gave me bad memories of my sophomore year of college - Astronomy 100. Thanks Andrew, now I completely forgot the joke I was going...ah, now I remember it...
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Also, I once got an email asking why, in my outer space ideas, I often show red stars. So here is my public response, as my intent here is to educate as well as horrify!
Due to the Doppler effect, the waves which make up the visible light spectrum will be stretched out as an object moves faster and faster away from us (like how the revving of a car engine driving away changes pitch, but for light). Since these objects (stars and galaxies) are indeed moving faster away from us (due to the expansion of the universe), they will appear to "shift" in color towards the red end of the spectrum. Alternatively, our sun would appear the same way if observed from a telescope on their end. This is known as the redshift effect. There is also a blue shift effect that, while uncommon, does occur and so I will occasionally put in a few blue dots as well.
That's a pretty heavily-paraphrased explanation, though. It you'd like to learn more, you can always consult your local library and...wait, are there still public libraries anymore?
Wow...your little Bill Nye impression there gave me bad memories of my sophomore year of college - Astronomy 100. Thanks Andrew, now I completely forgot the joke I was going...ah, now I remember it...
"Elitists...in...SPACE!"
It would've been best if I forgot it.
-Chris
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