Use Data Table 1: Spectral Analysis to answer the questions below. Think about what it means if a galaxy is appearing as redshifted or blueshifted.

Question

a. If we traveled back in time and viewed the galaxies, they would appear closer or further than they do in the present?

b. In at least two sentences, support your answer for letter a above with data/evidence from the lab. Use at least two of the following terms in your answer: redshift or blueshift and expanding or shrinking.

Answer 1

a. If we traveled back in time and viewed the galaxies, they would appear closer than they do in the present.

b. The observed redshift of galaxies indicates that they are moving away from us, meaning that the universe is expanding. If we were to travel back in time, we would find that these galaxies were closer together, as evidenced by the fact that the amount of redshift would decrease, leading to less expansion observed in the earlier universe.