Age of a Distant Galaxy: Is It Double?

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The discussion centers on the interpretation of the distance of a distant galaxy, specifically questioning whether the commonly accepted distance of 12 billion light years accounts for the galaxy's movement away from us. Participants argue that since the galaxy has been moving, the actual distance should be greater than 12 billion light years. They emphasize that we are observing the galaxy as it was 12 billion years ago, not its current state. This leads to the conclusion that significant changes may have occurred since that time. The conversation highlights the complexities of measuring cosmic distances in the context of an expanding universe.
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If the light reaching us from a distant galaxy is said to has been traveling for 12 billion years, then it is said to be 12 billion light years away. Did someone forget to consider the fact that the galaxy has been moving away from us in the meantime? The distance must be at least the double.
 
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Originally posted by AndersHermansson
If the light reaching us from a distant galaxy is said to has been traveling for 12 billion years, then it is said to be 12 billion light years away. Did someone forget to consider the fact that the galaxy has been moving away from us in the meantime? The distance must be at least the double.

That's why they always say that we are only seeing things as they were 12 billion years ago.
 


Originally posted by Mentat
That's why they always say that we are only seeing things as they were 12 billion years ago.

What Mentat said. We are seeing what the conditions are like THEN! A lot probably has changed if we were to see things locally.
 

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