Light leaving earth today would reach it after 4.6 years. If I were to reach that star faster than light; for example right now then would I be able to see myself 4.6 years younger?????? And how about i reach a star of my age right now? would i get to see my own birth???
2006-06-27 20:05:00 · 9 answers · asked by Justin L 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The key point to this whole question is if you could travel faster than light. Since at our present knowledge of physics says no, and our current tech is not able to get anywhere remotely near the speed of light let alone faster than it, we will assume this hypothetical question implies these two things don't matter.
If so, then yes you could see into the past if you had an adequate viewing device which could discern the light you would receive at the end of your journey--light which you left behind by going faster than it. But to see exaclty the number of years in the past as the light year distance you travelled, you woould have to move instantaneously. If you had any non-relativistic travel time, you would have to consider time of your journey to determine how far in past you were seeing. If you travelled 1.1 times the speed of light, you would only get to see .1*light year distance in years past.
2006-06-27 23:26:24 · answer #1 · answered by quntmphys238 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. You would not be able to see yourself younger, because the relative time it would take you to travel to the star with you would be 4.6 years. The time on Earth however, would have passed many years, and you would see your grandchildren, not you. It also goes into the AU (astronomical units)with your other question- the star being your age, #1 would be difficult to see and #2 if there were a habitable planet around such a young star it goes back to the first question- Earth time is based on revolution of the Earth around the sun and rotation of the Earth. You would not be able to see your own birth- time moves forward not in reverse- there are some theories in Quantum Mechanics and Physics about if there was actually a way to move faster than light (still not able to move at the speed of light) the compression would kill you- think of it this way; in a jet moving 3 times the speed of sound has to be compressed so the G forces on the jet will not hurt the people inside- moving at or above the speed of sound (761 MPH+) can hurt you because the gravitational force on your body will start to compress you. Moving at the speed of light or faster (186,000 MPS+ or 700 million MPH+) would rip you to pieces, along with any and all equipment with you.
2006-06-28 05:51:03 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only if you possessed some killer telescope!
I think you're onto something. Of course it depends on that instantaneous travel, FTL...
So you get to Alpha Centauri "now" and since now's light takes 4.6 years to catch up, you could, if you had that killer telescope, see yourself 4.6 years "ago". I think you would get to see your own birth too.
2006-06-28 03:13:44 · answer #3 · answered by brainflash_06 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you could travel through a worm hole then yes. You would have taken a shortcut through time (you movement not depending in time), and you could come back to earth and see yourself as a baby. However, it would be challenging to know when at what point to jump out of the worm hole to get the exact time backwards when you were young.
2006-06-28 04:47:16 · answer #4 · answered by shkabaj 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is imaginative. Is this actual science or theory. Is it part of quantum physics?
It sounds like alpha centuri was made a long time before earth was.
2006-06-28 03:14:11 · answer #5 · answered by Cordelia 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes u can and it's possible.
U need a very very powerful telescope to view ur self on earth.
as ur on Alpha C, lookat the earth thro that powerful telescope, basically u need to magnify the earth to a size where u can c ur self on the surface of earth.
2006-06-28 03:10:30 · answer #6 · answered by michael 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
Because you would be in those places very fare away and not here.
2006-06-28 03:09:16 · answer #7 · answered by Rick A 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, you just would have changed location.
2006-06-28 03:09:18 · answer #8 · answered by ugafan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No,a perfect no.
2006-06-28 03:09:43 · answer #9 · answered by sa 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋