Tuesday, November 7, 2023   9:01 PM
Redshift of Galaxies
       The light we observe from galaxies has been stretched by the time it reaches us. It looks redder
       than it should. This redshift is the result of galaxies moving away from us. Observations show
       that pretty much everything in the Universe is moving apart. The redshift of distant galaxies tells
       us the Universe is expanding.
       If you could wind time backwards, you would see galaxies getting closer together. If you could
       go back far enough, everything in the Universe would have been in one place.
       Cosmic Microwave Backgroud
       2. Microwave Background
       A long, long time ago, the whole Universe was very hot. As it grew in the size, the heat left a
       "glow" which fills the entire Universe. The Big Bang theory predicts this glow should still exist. It
       also predicts that we should be able to detect this glow as microwave light.
       Scientist have found this Cosmic Microwave Background. They have accurately measured it
       using orbiting detectors. It is very good evidence that the Big Bang theory is correct.
       3. Mixture of Elements
       Some chemical elements were created soon after the Big Bang. Elements like hydrogen and helium. The Big
       Bang theory predicts how much of each element was made in the early universe. When astronomers look at
       very old galaxies and stars, the amount of each chemical they see agrees with the Big Bang theory.
       You cannot look for this evidence in new stars, like the Sun. This is because newer stars contain chemical
       elements made by older stars. So the chemical make-up of new stars is very different from stars which existed
       soon after the Big Bang.
       4. Looking back in time
       There is an alternative to the Big Bang theory. It is called the Steady State theory. In this theory, the Universe
       does not change much over time.
       Remember - light takes a long time to travel across the Universe. So when we look at galaxies which are very
       far away, we are also looking back in time.
       This means we can see that very old galaxies are very different from newer galaxies. This shows the Universe
       has changed. This evidence fits better with the Big Bang theory than the Steady State theory.