The Redshift

The Redshift Garden celebrates the role of the telescope and how its invention has promoted our understanding of the universe.

When a celestial object, such as a star or a galaxy, moves away from us, the wavelength of the light is stretched, making the object appear red. In the 1920s, astronomers observed that nearly all galaxies appeared more red – they were all moving away from us. Everything is moving away from everything else as the universe is expanding. This is called the ‘redshift’ and could be proof of the Big Bang. Here the redshift is interpreted as a planted response.

The design features a space to sit, representing Earth, with sculptures depicting ground and space telescopes. Looking out into the garden from this position, the planting moves from yellows through orange towards reds. Interspersed are swathes of dark plants representing dark matter.