Phrase guide

Gunn-Peterson trough

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A feature in astronomical spectrometry of distant light, caused by the Reionization Era's absorption of UV light, leaving a gap in the spectrum.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

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Meaning relationships

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Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the theoreticians who predicted this effect, astronomers James E. Gunn and Bruce Peterson, which creates a lack of radiation at a span of wavelengths.