As light travels across the universe, it can be viewed as blocks of different colors when it passes through certain phenomena that affect its propagation. These phenomena can cause the light to interact with matter or experience gravitational effects, resulting in the splitting or absorption of different wavelengths of light. Here are a few examples:
Spectral lines: When light passes through a medium such as a gas or a cloud of dust, it can interact with the atoms or molecules in that medium. These interactions can cause certain wavelengths of light to be absorbed or scattered, resulting in gaps or dark lines in the spectrum of the transmitted light. These dark lines are called spectral lines and can provide information about the composition and physical properties of the medium through which the light has passed.
Redshift and blueshift: The expansion of the universe causes the light emitted by distant objects (such as galaxies) to experience a phenomenon known as redshift. Redshift occurs when the universe expands between the source of light and the observer, causing the wavelengths of light to stretch and shift toward the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum. Conversely, if the source of light is moving closer to the observer, the wavelengths of light are compressed and shift toward the blue end, resulting in a blueshift. The observation of redshift or blueshift can indicate the motion of the source relative to the observer and can provide insights into the universe's expansion.
Gravitational lensing: Massive objects, such as galaxies or galaxy clusters, can bend the path of light passing near them due to their gravitational pull. This phenomenon, known as gravitational lensing, can cause the light to be deflected and follow a curved path. In some cases, gravitational lensing can result in multiple images of the same object or even produce a ring-like structure called an Einstein ring. The gravitational lensing effect can distort and magnify the appearance of the source, potentially leading to color variations in the observed light.
These are just a few examples of how light can be viewed as blocks of different colors during its journey across the universe. The specific phenomena encountered by the light and the resulting color variations depend on the interactions and influences it experiences along its path, including absorption, scattering, redshift, blueshift, and gravitational effects.