- #1
Vidar Martinsen
- 11
- 0
If you are in a space ship, traveling near light speed, will length contraction enable you to se astronomical events lightyears away, before it is possible to see them from earth?
This because the distance is shorter for you in the spaceship and light speed is constant.
Example: A star 100 ly. away from Earth will be 50 ly. away from a spaceship traveling 87% of speed of light towards or from it, even if the spaceship are traveling past the Earth when this is observed. So the spaceship can se 50 years "in to the future" on this star compered to observed from the earth. (On Earth we can see what happened 100 years ago, and from the spaceship we can see what happened 50 year ago on the same star.)
Is this a valid conclusion and correct understanding of the theory of relativity?
regards
Vidar
This because the distance is shorter for you in the spaceship and light speed is constant.
Example: A star 100 ly. away from Earth will be 50 ly. away from a spaceship traveling 87% of speed of light towards or from it, even if the spaceship are traveling past the Earth when this is observed. So the spaceship can se 50 years "in to the future" on this star compered to observed from the earth. (On Earth we can see what happened 100 years ago, and from the spaceship we can see what happened 50 year ago on the same star.)
Is this a valid conclusion and correct understanding of the theory of relativity?
regards
Vidar