Hubble parameter
- noun
- /ˈhʌbəl pəˈræmɪtər/
- Specialized
:
parámetro de Hubble
- Astronomers use the Hubble parameter to measure the speed at which galaxies move away from us, providing insights into cosmic expansion.
Examples
-
For many years, there were two schools of astronomers, one of which predicted that the Hubble parameter was about 50 (10, say) and another that predicted that it was about 100 (20, say).
Blog text (27) -
It may well be that their CIs were actual CIs with regard to the data that they were using, but it's clear that as far as capturing the actual value of the Hubble parameter, at least one of them had to be wrong (and as it turned out, probably both of them were).
Blog text (27) -
Noting that the Hubble parameter is not constant (roughly speaking, it is inversely proportional to the age of the universe t), he proposed that GsubN = 1/t.
Academic text (2004) -
The latest research indicates that the Hubble parameter has increased, suggesting the universe is expanding at a faster rate than previously thought.
-
Calculating the Hubble parameter allows scientists to estimate the distance of galaxies based on their recessional velocity.
Synonyms
1
9.1
A number that shows how fast the universe is getting bigger
A number that shows how fast the universe is expanding now
A number that shows how fast the universe is expanding now
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound links a proper name ('Hubble') with a general term ('parameter'), so a learner who knows both can infer this is a scientific/astronomical measurement associated with Hubble (i.e., a cosmology parameter). However, the specific technical sense (the velocity‑to‑distance ratio / current expansion rate) is domain‑specific and not predictable from the parts alone, so prior subject knowledge is needed.
Etymology
The term Hubble parameter is named after astronomer Hubble and the word parameter means a single number that describes something. Imagine dots on a balloon moving apart as you blow it up: the Hubble parameter tells how much faster a dot moves when it is farther away, so it measures the universe's current 'expansion'.