blueshift

American  

[bloo-shift] / ˈbluˌʃɪft /

Or blue shift

noun

Astronomy.

1. a shift toward shorter wavelengths of the spectral lines of a celestial object, caused by the motion of the object toward the observer.

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blueshift British  

/ ˈbluːˌʃɪft /

noun

1. a shift in the spectral lines of a stellar spectrum towards the blue end of the visible region relative to the wavelengths of these lines in the terrestrial spectrum: a result of the Doppler effect caused by stars approaching the solar system Compare redshift

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Etymology

Origin of blueshift

First recorded in 1950–55; blue + shift

Compare meaning

How does blueshift compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• redshift vs. blueshift

Example Sentences

Keck Observatory on Hawaii's Mauna Kea, they could detect slight variations in stellar motion via the redshift and blueshift of the Doppler effect -- which helped them determine planetary mass readings of unprecedented precision.

From Science Daily • Jan. 26, 2024

When the star is moving away from us, the lines in its spectrum show a tiny redshift; when it is moving toward us, they show a tiny blueshift.

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016

The effect is to cause both a redshift and a blueshift, widening the spread of frequencies in the radio beam.

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016