Gunn–Peterson trough
The universe is very big and is filled with things called galaxies that are made of stars and planets. These galaxies emit light, just like our sun does. But sometimes, they also block light that comes from behind them.
One type of galaxy is called a quasar, which emits lots of light and is very far away from us. When we look at a quasar, we can see lots of colors of light because the light has to travel a very long way to reach us, and different colors travel at slightly different speeds.
Scientists discovered that when they looked at quasars that were far away, they saw a pattern where there were less blue colors of light than they expected. This is called the Gunn-Peterson trough.
Why is this important? It helps us understand the very early universe, when stars and galaxies were just forming. The lack of blue light could be caused by clouds of gas that blocked the light, or it could be due to interactions between the early universe and the light. Either way, it provides clues about how the universe evolved into what we see today.
So, in summary, the Gunn-Peterson trough is a pattern in the light emitted by quasars that helps scientists understand what the early universe was like.
One type of galaxy is called a quasar, which emits lots of light and is very far away from us. When we look at a quasar, we can see lots of colors of light because the light has to travel a very long way to reach us, and different colors travel at slightly different speeds.
Scientists discovered that when they looked at quasars that were far away, they saw a pattern where there were less blue colors of light than they expected. This is called the Gunn-Peterson trough.
Why is this important? It helps us understand the very early universe, when stars and galaxies were just forming. The lack of blue light could be caused by clouds of gas that blocked the light, or it could be due to interactions between the early universe and the light. Either way, it provides clues about how the universe evolved into what we see today.
So, in summary, the Gunn-Peterson trough is a pattern in the light emitted by quasars that helps scientists understand what the early universe was like.