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what would an observer experience on such a planet, and is such a condition possible?

2007-01-02 08:18:55 · 10 answers · asked by Atticus 2 in Science & Mathematics Physics

10 answers

Yes it is possible.

The planet would have a very cold atmosphere, probably like an ice planet, if it were moving that fast.

I don't think you'd see much as an observer. The high velocity of the planet would not allow the formation of any protection from the sun, so there'd be no life. Without an atmosphere the planet would break up very quickly due to velocity. And or it would collide with other satellites.

2007-01-02 08:25:28 · answer #1 · answered by revoltix 7 · 0 0

The only possible orbital arrangement whereby the orbiting element may travel at the speed of light is that of a photon (which necessarily travels at the speed of light by definition) orbiting at exactly the Schwarzchild Radius / event horizon of a black hole. Any deviation from this position will result in the photon either falling into the singularity should it move closer (as the gravitational acceleration will excede the speed of light), or escaping its orbital path if it moves away from the event horizon, the escape velocity thereby being less than the speed of light.

There are numerous problems with the notion of a planet occupying such a position.
Firstly, the difference in the strength of the gravitational attraction of the black hole from the closer side of the planet to the further side would produce massive tidal forces, which would rip the planet apart in an instant.
Secondly, the constant influx of material toward the black hole would undoubtably impact the planet at some point, causing a fatal orbital deviation into the black hole.

If we assume for a second that it were possible for a planetary body to exist at the event horizon of a black hole, we must then assume that to avoid having its constituant material ripped away by the black hole, it must have a comparable gravitational attraction, thus making it a black hole also.

In summary, it is not possible for a planet to exist under these conditions.

2007-01-04 12:55:34 · answer #2 · answered by Batho 2 · 0 0

I would say a great question. It really defies physics in more than one way

1. Speed even near light is impossible for a planet to achieve
2. If it has to achieve that it would really be orbiting quite close to the surface of a black hole. Again an impossible thing
3. Time doesn't move on the surface of such a fast moving planet. so Life will never evolve.
4. Observer if put from outside ( and is able to survive) will not have time to observe things.
5. I am thrilled even to think of such a thing.

2007-01-04 05:56:37 · answer #3 · answered by ashutosh115 1 · 0 0

This is not possible as such a planet would require exactly all the energy in the universe to achive such a speed. It would also be infinatly heavy. So no this is impossible

2007-01-02 17:10:03 · answer #4 · answered by jackkenyon1991 1 · 0 0

Any object does not increase its mass, it is opposite. When it reaches to speed of light it automatically converted into light.
We cannot move any mass at the speed of light unless the mass in the shape of light itself.
So there is no possibility of any massive object to orbit the sun with the speed of light, except light itself.
If for your imagination we assume so more mass or more speed of an object needs as big radius to orbit around some other object. So such orbit of your imagination needs may be radius of the length of whole Galaxy.

2007-01-03 01:33:51 · answer #5 · answered by Ishfaq A 3 · 0 0

What ever your imagination can conjure up. There is nothing I can make a comparison to. Since the speed of light is said to be 183,000 miles per second of elapsed time how fast would that be if your day was only one hour? 10.980,000 per minute, 658.800,000mph. There is nothing known to man that can withstand the forces of nature. At least not of this world. What energy force are you going to use? Is it possible? Perhaps. I can not say. If so, the physical forces of resistance may be comparable to an electron in free space. To have a Planet move as an electron would mean that we are a sub-particle of physics. If that be what it is than what of the Universe?

2007-01-02 16:56:14 · answer #6 · answered by blueridgemotors 6 · 0 0

Ooh, INTERESTING question!!!

For one thing, your observer must have an incredible body structure to prevent it from being crushed, because mass increases as it approaches the speed of light. The mass of something going AT the speed of light is infinite, but at just below the speed of light, it'll just be really really really amazingly mind-bogglingly massive. Accordingly, the gravity of your planet would be devastating. Actually, might it possibly become a black hole? If that happened, all light that passes too close to your black hole/planet would actually bend from its course and be sucked inside.

And your sun? It will get sucked into your speedy planet's gravitational field. The sun will literally FALL into your planet. Scorchy day for Mr. Observer.

Now, let's pretend that your sun has NOT crashed into your planet and it's night out. Starlight from behind the planet might not reach it, but the stars you are moving towards should be able to get their light in. It's possible you might see the colors of light separating in a doppler effect, but I'm really NOT sure of this.

Now, there is also a difference in the perception of time. To you, time is flowing normally on your planet. To an outside observer, time is almost at a standstill. You take 1 minute to walk from one end of a building to another, but to an outside observer, it takes you... I dunno... centuries maybe. By contrast, your observer sees everything outside the planet as happening very fast. Your observer calls a child on Earth, has a brief conversation, hangs up the phone, realizes he forgot to say something and calls back. The phone is answered by someone who exclaims, "that old lady died ten years ago!" However, you would not actually be able to have a conversation- the person on the other end would be talking far too quickly, and you would seem to take years to say a single word.

Oh yeah, and do you think your planet is round? Do you? You think it's a sphere? It's not a sphere. Its length is shorter, it's almost flat. It's like a coin standing on edge. I think. I'm guessing that this means that anything you observe outside the planet would seem to be long, long streaks.

P.S. Your question inspired me to ask about speed and black holes, you might be interested in the answers: http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvAq7S9SqwAPwc1OBishws4SBgx.?qid=20070102212359AASJWqZ

2007-01-03 00:34:08 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

The observer would experience exactly what we experience on our planet.
All of the laws of physics stay the same at a uniform velocity.
His clocks, however, would not run at the same rate as ours. Ironically, this observer would consider our clocks to be running slower while we, at the same time, would consider that it was indeed his clocks that were running slower!

2007-01-03 00:33:29 · answer #8 · answered by LeAnne 7 · 0 0

The speed of light is the cosmic speed limit. It would look a blur!

2007-01-02 20:55:10 · answer #9 · answered by CLIVE C 3 · 0 0

No one can, with reasonable accuracy, say what is or is not possible in the circumstance you have defined. So I can only say my mind cannot wrap itself around your scenario as being a possibility.

2007-01-03 00:31:46 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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