Searching for a Physics Book - Astronaut Dragging Personal Black Hole

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on a search for a specific physics book that describes an astronaut traveling at near-light speed, observing the effects of relativistic physics on light and stars. The author recalls that the book discusses the concept of the astronaut dragging a personal black hole, which explains the visual phenomena of stars reddening and disappearing. The mention of "Einstein's Universe" indicates a connection to Einstein's theories of relativity, which are crucial to understanding the described effects. The user seeks assistance in identifying the book's title and author.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Einstein's theory of relativity
  • Familiarity with concepts of redshift and blueshift
  • Basic knowledge of astrophysics and light behavior
  • Awareness of popular physics literature
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the book "Einstein's Universe" by Nigel Calder
  • Explore the concept of relativistic effects on light in astrophysics
  • Investigate the phenomenon of gravitational lensing and black holes
  • Look into popular science books discussing relativity and its implications
USEFUL FOR

Anyone interested in physics, particularly students, educators, and enthusiasts seeking to understand the implications of relativity and the behavior of light in extreme conditions.

lechiffre
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I've been trying to track down one of the popular physics books, a title I read years ago and can't recall. The author referred to a hypothetical astronaut, traveling at or close to lightspeed. Looking out of his ship's rear window he observes the stars behind him gradually reddening and dimming and eventually disappearing altogether as wavelength becomes infinite. In the forward direction the universe is foreshortened to a point as all light is completely blue-shifted. The author suggested that the astronaut is effectively dragging along his own personal black hole behind him, as this would logically account for his inability to see any stars astern of him. I eventually saw in these observations the answer to something which had been puzzling my poor brain for years (ever since reading "Einsteins Universe" even earlier !) I'm darned if I can remember the title or author of the book that I found this in. I've tried all the ones I can remember, not that there have been very many, I'm not much of a scientist and less of a mathematician. I haven't looked around the site yet (newbie) and for all I know this is Mother's Milk to the regulars.
 
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