Hubble's Law Calculator
Calculate recession velocity and distance from cosmological redshift using Hubble's Law. Includes lookback time, scale factor, and relativistic corrections.
Inputs
Results
Recession Velocity (classical)
29,979.25 km/s
Recession Velocity (relativistic)
28,487.07 km/s
Distance
428.27 Mpc
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the spectroscopic Redshift (z) of the galaxy — nearby galaxies are 0.001–0.1, distant quasars can exceed 6.
- Set the Hubble Constant (H₀) in km/s/Mpc — Planck gives 67.4, SH0ES gives 73.0; 70 is a common compromise.
- Read Distance (Mpc) and Distance (Gly) for the galaxy's comoving distance from Earth.
- Use Lookback Time (Gyr) to determine how far into the past you are observing the object.
- Compare Classical and Relativistic recession velocities — for high-z objects, the relativistic formula is more accurate.
How the result changes with Redshift (z)
| Redshift (z) | Recession Velocity (classical) | Recession Velocity (relativistic) | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 599,584.92 km/s | 239,833.97 km/s | 8,565.5 Mpc |
| 7 | 2,098,547.21 km/s | 290,568.07 km/s | 29,979.25 Mpc |
| 13 | 3,897,301.95 km/s | 296,748.88 km/s | 55,675.74 Mpc |
| 18 | 5,396,264.24 km/s | 298,136.15 km/s | 77,089.49 Mpc |
What each input means
- Redshift (z)
- Cosmological redshift measured from spectral lines (nearby galaxies ~0.001-0.1, distant ~1-10)
- Hubble Constant (H₀)
- Current expansion rate (Planck 2018: 67.4, SH0ES: 73.0; default 70 is a compromise)
How this is calculated
Formula
v = H₀ × d; d = cz / H₀Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input ParametersRedshift (z) = 0.1, Hubble Constant (H₀) = 70 = 2 input(s) provided
- Calculate Recession VelocityRecession Velocity29979.25 = 29979.25
- Calculate Recession VelocityRecession Velocity28487.07 = 28487.07
- Calculate DistanceDistance428.27 = 428.27
- Calculate DistanceDistance1396.86 = 1396.86
- Calculate DistanceDistance1.397 = 1.397
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