Propagator theory in quantum electrodynamics states that the distance an exchange particle travels is inversely proportional to its mass. As far as current theory and experiment can determine, the photon is massless, and so has an infinite range.
2006-12-03 05:51:34
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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As far as we know, light does not decay. That is not to say that it cannot be absorbed by obstacles along its path. Even in deep space there is interstellar matter that can absorb light. Light intensity, however, is a different story. While a single photon will not decay, if you take a light source, such as a distant galaxy, its brightness is inversely proportional to its distance squared.
Additionally, you have to consider the effects of expansion. It has been shown that there is a significant 'redshift' for distant objects, suggesting an acceleration of the universe's expansion This redshift decreases the energy of a given photon, but will not destroy it. It is for this reason that we see the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) as microwaves, rather than the gamma rays they truly are.
This is also why the sky is not always bright, because while the universe itself may very well be infinite, we can only ever observe a bubble of it out to a distance of 13-20ish billion years, where at its very edge we can see what the universe was like at its birth.
2006-12-03 05:18:02
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answer #2
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answered by MooseBoys 6
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If you had a spaceship, how far could you travel? You would keep going until you ran into something. Then you would either be absorbed by that thing or you would bounce off and keep going.
If you think of a flashlight, it really is only effective for a certain range. After that you just see darkness. The reason for that is because the light spreads out from the flashlight. The protons are still there, but they are going different directions. It is the same with stars and other producers of light.
Now all science can really says is that light can travel at least 13.23 billion light years. This is because that is the farthest galaxy we have seen. Although, there is no evidence to suggest that we cannot see farther....
2006-12-03 04:57:40
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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Photons travel normally at the speed of light but can change accordingly to weather conditions. Several years ago, i can remember that astronomers claimed to see three planets with some type of telescope that were three trillion light years away. Since then I have never heard it mentioned except that a few Bible schollars believed it was the three stages of heaven that John mentioned in the Book of Revellations, in the King James Version of the new testament. As far as I know, it has never been mentioned by anyone lately.
2006-12-03 05:01:45
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answer #4
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answered by Anonymous
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forever or since the beginning but it depends on the expansion of the universe the more it expands the lower the Doppler shift and the lower the Doppler shift the longer it takes to receive the photon ! you might have a shift with a wavelength as large as the universe and it would take the history of the universe for the wave to cross the very same universe! see how simple physics can be! ahahhaha!
2006-12-03 04:45:51
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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if light could travel infinite distances, the whole sky would permanantly be brightened by far off galaxies.
2006-12-03 04:46:04
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answer #6
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answered by epbr123 5
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#1 Powerful Tactical Flashlight - http://FlashLight.uzaev.com/?FIoy
2016-07-11 04:18:45
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answer #7
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answered by ? 3
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