- #1
mrspeedybob
- 869
- 65
I was thinking yesterday about a scenario where a ray of light passes a massive body and is deflected. If I were in a rocket moving at the speed of light along the same trajectory, I should follow the same path through the gravitational field and so should observe the ray of light to be traveling straight, except for the fact that traveling at C is a logical contradiction. So what happens in the limit as my velocity is set arbitrarily close to C?
One line of thought says that as V approaches C the trajectory of the light should approach a straight line in my reference frame. Another says that the trajectories will never be identical and that as V approaches C Length contraction will make the rays curve sharper.
So, As V approaches C in this scenario do I observe the lights path to be straighter, more curved, or do the effects cancel and I see the same curvature at any speed?
One line of thought says that as V approaches C the trajectory of the light should approach a straight line in my reference frame. Another says that the trajectories will never be identical and that as V approaches C Length contraction will make the rays curve sharper.
So, As V approaches C in this scenario do I observe the lights path to be straighter, more curved, or do the effects cancel and I see the same curvature at any speed?