Final answer:
The early 1900s observation of the redshift in light from distant galaxies indicates that the universe is expanding, with galaxies moving away from us at speeds proportional to their distance. This was a foundational discovery by Edwin Hubble, supporting the Big Bang theory.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the early 1900s, astronomers observed that the light waves from other galaxies were exhibiting a phenomenon known as redshift, which indicates that the wavelength of the light increases or 'stretches' as the galaxies move away from us. This observation is a cornerstone in our understanding of the expansion of the universe. The further away a galaxy is, the more significant the redshift, due to the light traveling for a longer period through expanding space, which correlates to the galaxies moving away at speeds proportional to their distance, a relationship discovered by Edwin Hubble. These findings support the theory that the universe began with a massive expansion event known as the Big Bang. Additionally, redshifts aren't caused by the Doppler effect alone; the stretching of space itself contributes to the observed redshift in a process distinct from the Doppler shift commonly observed in sound waves.