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kimthealan101 t1_j1q0jk9 wrote

If Red shift was due to the spectrometers getting smaller, farther sources would not show more red shift.

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cjameshuff t1_j1q4phj wrote

That part kind of works: the light from further sources was emitted at longer wavelengths. But you have to not only shrink everything material, but shrink the interactions with light while not shrinking the light in transit, increase the rate at which physical processes happen while objects shrink (since otherwise the speed of light would appear to increase as distances shrink), etc. There's a whole mess of things you have to adjust that mean other things need to be adjusted in compensation, all while covering up any physical sign that any of this is happening. It doesn't lead to any new understanding and certainly doesn't simplify things, so it's little more than an academic curiosity.

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kimthealan101 t1_j1q5ysw wrote

We know the spectrum of hydrogen very well. It has the same spectral lines everyplace that the conservation laws work. The spectrum from farther stars have the exact same lines, they are just shifted to longer wavelengths while in route to our spectrometers. There is more shift, they farther away the star is. We know how far the star is by known candles. Certain binary stars have identical novas due to one star siphoning mass from its partner. At a certain stage, when the mass is sufficient, these stars nova with the same energy and brightness. By knowing the perceived brightness on earth, we can tell exactly how far away it is.

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