- #1
Nicholas Harris
- 4
- 2
The energy of a photon depends on its wavelength, so theoretically when it is blueshifted it should have more energy right?
Then what if a spaceship with a solar panel on the front is traveling towards the sun at relativistic speeds. An incoming photon undergoes a blueshift from the observer on the spacecraft . So does the solar panel read the same energy as if the light wasn't blueshifted? I see two options here: 1. Either the solar panel reads two different numbers depending on the observer. (almost like 2 realities exist) 2. Or it reads the same because the energy of the photon is not actually based on wavelength
To keep it simple let's imagine we're only talking about one photon, because time dilation might affect the power level the solar panel was reading.
Then what if a spaceship with a solar panel on the front is traveling towards the sun at relativistic speeds. An incoming photon undergoes a blueshift from the observer on the spacecraft . So does the solar panel read the same energy as if the light wasn't blueshifted? I see two options here: 1. Either the solar panel reads two different numbers depending on the observer. (almost like 2 realities exist) 2. Or it reads the same because the energy of the photon is not actually based on wavelength
To keep it simple let's imagine we're only talking about one photon, because time dilation might affect the power level the solar panel was reading.
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