Peculiar Velocity (Noun)
Meaning
Velocity with respect to the local standard of rest.
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
Examples
- The peculiar velocity of a galaxy is the velocity with which it moves away from or towards us, relative to the local standard of rest.
- The peculiar velocity of a star can be calculated by subtracting the velocity of the local standard of rest from its observed velocity.
- Astronomers use the peculiar velocity of galaxies to study the large-scale structure of the universe and the distribution of matter within it.
- The peculiar velocity of a galaxy cluster can be used to infer the presence of dark matter, which affects the motion of galaxies within the cluster.
- By analyzing the peculiar velocities of many galaxies, researchers can reconstruct the cosmic web, a network of galaxy filaments and voids that crisscrosses the universe.