Wouldnt it take 14 billion years for the light to travel from the telescope to the appointed star?
2006-10-10 16:52:26 · 11 answers · asked by ? 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
As mentioned by others, you are seeing the light from the star which is 14 billion years old. You are correct, it takes 14 billion years for light from your telescope to travel the same distance. 14 billion light years is a distance. The time it takes light to travel that distance is 14 billion years. The assumption is that the star still exists and is in about the same location and that we are in about the same location.
2006-10-10 17:01:38 · answer #1 · answered by Jack 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have it backwards. The light travels from the star to the telescope, not the other way around. And that light has been travelling for 14 billion years.
2006-10-11 03:45:23 · answer #2 · answered by mathematician 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, what you are seeing is the light from the star thats been traveling to earth for 14 billion years. For all we know that star doesn't even exist anymore.
2006-10-10 16:54:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The light travels, not your vision. It has taken 14 billion light years for the light to reach you. You are receiving the light with the telescope (so to speak).
2006-10-10 16:56:55 · answer #4 · answered by salter 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with most of the answers here, for all we know the star no longer exists. Apologies for the redundance. However in response to your second question, ( with all due respect) light would not travel "from" the telescope to the appointed star, scratch that and reverse it.
2006-10-10 17:10:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually it is the light emitted by that star that has been traveling at the speed of light relative to it's position for 14 billion years in our direction.
2006-10-10 16:59:01 · answer #6 · answered by zambranoray 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our telescope technology is right on the edge of being able to see light that left a star fourteen billion years ago, (which happens to be approximately the estimated age of the universe.) There is no way we can see it with the unaided eye.
2006-10-10 19:53:40 · answer #7 · answered by RG 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
as soon as the star is formed the light begins to travel outward in all directions at (the speed of light) approx. 3.00x10 to the eight. it takes then 14 billion years for the light to be seen from earth, so in actuality you are seeing the light that it 14billion years old.
2006-10-10 16:55:29 · answer #8 · answered by ray t 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yep, you are actually seeing the light of a star that that may no longer exists. At 186,000 mps light travel is slow in comparison to the distance you've described.
2006-10-10 17:04:06 · answer #9 · answered by cowboybabeeup 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The universe isn't six thousand years previous. it is a ways older. we are speaking billions and billions of years here. you extremely have self belief that an invisible guy who lives interior the sky used magic to boost the cost of sunshine so as which you're able to have the means to bypass great call staring at? you are able to't be extreme.
2016-11-27 20:43:19 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋