Can a telescope see cars and people 10 light-years away as they were 10 years ago?

[RandyD123]

Lets suppose I had a very powerful telescope and I could see 10 light years away. Would I see cars and people on that planet as they were 10 years ago? Would I actually see the people moving and the cars moving on the ground?

 

[PAllen]

This isn't a relativity question. Physicists from 1700s (perhaps even earlier) would have told you yes, and yes*. This only depends on finite light speed.

*You might need to clear out dust from space and have an aperture much larger than the solar system, but whatever, that's fine for a thought experiment.

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