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eon_rider
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Question:
Let’s say one observes three events on Earth while looking up at the night sky. One being right next to an observer on Earth (a flash light turning on), a second being on the moon (a large flash of light of some sort), and a third on Proxima Centauri, (perhaps a massive solar flare or the star going supernova).
Let’s say these events are observed simultaneously on Earth.
They are all observed at (t1)
If the Earth event happened at t1, then the moon event must have happened at t1 – 1.3 seconds wrt Earth, and the Proxima Centauri event must have happened at t1 – 4.22 years wrt Earth.
Still they all appeared to happen simultaneously at our observation point on earth. However, another observer on the moon or a third near Proxima Centauri will state definitively that the events happen in a different order. So no absolute times or absolute sequences of these events can be established.
It seems only relative times and sequences can be established, and only after one chooses a reference frame. (one of the three locations)
Is this a workable way of looking at the relative nature of time and temporal events?
Eon.
EDIT: It may be better to replace Proxima Centauri with another planet in our solar system like Mars because the time it takes light to reach Mars is known more precisely. Cheers. E.
Let’s say one observes three events on Earth while looking up at the night sky. One being right next to an observer on Earth (a flash light turning on), a second being on the moon (a large flash of light of some sort), and a third on Proxima Centauri, (perhaps a massive solar flare or the star going supernova).
Let’s say these events are observed simultaneously on Earth.
They are all observed at (t1)
If the Earth event happened at t1, then the moon event must have happened at t1 – 1.3 seconds wrt Earth, and the Proxima Centauri event must have happened at t1 – 4.22 years wrt Earth.
Still they all appeared to happen simultaneously at our observation point on earth. However, another observer on the moon or a third near Proxima Centauri will state definitively that the events happen in a different order. So no absolute times or absolute sequences of these events can be established.
It seems only relative times and sequences can be established, and only after one chooses a reference frame. (one of the three locations)
Is this a workable way of looking at the relative nature of time and temporal events?
Eon.
EDIT: It may be better to replace Proxima Centauri with another planet in our solar system like Mars because the time it takes light to reach Mars is known more precisely. Cheers. E.
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