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No. 5: November 1978

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A Redshift Undermines The Dogma Of An Expanding Universe

Halton Arp has closely studied the galaxy NGC-1199, which is the brightest member of a small cluster of galaxies. One of its companions is a galaxy so dense that it appears to be a star. This compact object sports a circular shadow and seems to be silhouetted against the central galaxy NGC-1199.

Arp's analysis of the absorption ring seems to prove that the compact galaxy is in front of the central galaxy. This would normally be permissible, but here the central galaxy has a redshift of 2,600 km/sec compared to 13,300 km/sec for the galaxy in front of it. This is astounding because the farther away an object is, the greater its redshift is supposed to be.

(Arp, Halton M.; "NGC-ll99," Astronomy, 6:15, September 1978.)

Comment. Other examples of such anomalous redshifts are known. Three pos-sible conclusions are:

  1. The redshift distance law is wrong, upsetting the Big-Bang Theory;
  2. Some galaxies and other objects have acquired anomalous velocities through some unknown mechanism; or
  3. These unusual redshifts do not indicate velocities at all.

Reference. The "redshift controversy" is a major topic in our Catalog: Stars, Galaxies, Cosmos. For ordering information, visit: here.

From Science Frontiers #5, November 1978. � 1978-2000 William R. Corliss