Considering General Relativity, how would earth appear to a space traveler accelerating to near light speed?

Question

According to Special Relativity, I should be able to travel to the Andromeda galaxy (2 million light years away) and then return to earth over a period of time that would seem like just a few years to me. But upon my return to earth, I will find that that earth has aged over 4 million years. Now suppose that I have a really, really powerful telescope and I am able to constantly view a large digital clock on the earth's surface that has been set up for my viewing pleasure. My plan is to spend my entire space voyage watching this earth-based clock. If it were not for acceleration, the clock should appear to me to be very slow – at near light speed, the earth-clock should almost seem to be stopped. This is because according to Special Relativity, the earth would appear to be traveling near the speed of light relative to me, so I would see the earth clock slow down. But since I am accelerating, we have to include General Relativity. So my question is…

What would I actually see as I watch earth through my telescope? Would it appear to me as though time on earth is running in fast-forward? Or would it appear as if earth-time is in slow motion, but when I do General Relativity calculations, I know that in reality it my own clock that is running slow (because I am in an accelerating frame of reference)? So, in other words, would the effects of General Relativity affect just my calculations, or would it affect my actual visual impressions of earth?

Wally: The whole point of the thought experiment is to watch the earth clock continuously for the entire trip. If it always appears slow, then how can earth be thousands of years older when I arrive? Don't I have to see it speed up at some point?

Sparrow… I'm sure you are right, but suppose I never accelerate more than 1 g (equivalent to earth's gravity)? Since acceleration and gravity are equivalent, the time dilation due to my acceleration should be equivalent to the time dilation I observe in the universe in all directions due to the fact that I am sitting in earths gravitational field. So, does sitting in the earth's gravitational field cause clocks all over the universe to appear to be moving so fast that a few years in my own reference frame causes the rest of the universe to age by thousands of years? I'm still confused about how this all works out.

Epidavros: I'm sure I do need General Relativity to account for this, because Special Relativity by itself would imply that earth clocks are slower than mine the whole time, and I know this can't be right. Acceleration make my clock be the really slow one, which is why the earth is so much older when I return.

I would appreciate a link to some physics web page that addresses this specific question.

Answer 1

The answer to your question can be found by looking at the outer fringe of the universe. As we view the edge of the universe we see it as it was billions of years ago. If we were able to zip ourselves there it would look nothing like what we see through our earth-bound telescopes.

So, to answer your question would be as you travel the clock on earth would appear to have bearly moved. However, once you return to earth everything would have changed on earth, but you would look like a relic of the past who has bearly aged.

Answer 2

The earth clock would appear to be running slow, but sense you are the one under going acceleration and deceleration, you would be the one that experienced true time dilation. So the earth would age four million years to your few years. Though I don't know how you could stand the G forces.

Answer 3

You are using a variation of the twin paradox.

The thing is that although everyone can claim their perspective is the valid one, when you have to decelerate and change direction to get back to Earth, you are forgoing your relativistic perspective. Earth can still claim to be standing still, but you cannot.

Also, the ability for you to perceive the passage of time on Earth is what is changing - as you move away, time looks to you to be slowing down - the light that conveys perception is being elongated.

However, on the trip home, the reverse is true - now, your perception of the passage of time on Earth is shortened.

On the trip out, time seems to pass at say half as fast on Earth, but on the trip home seems to pass twice as fast - by the time you get back, the mathematics of it all describes that everything equals out and then you are now back in sync.

Answer 4

This is actually an example of time dilation at near c speeds that is mentioned in Ernestine' second postulate. since time is not absolute when compared to c, you are actually experiencing a shorter period of time. while the earth ages at its regular pace. therefore when you look on an earth clock, their actual time is slower than the proper time (your time) therefore using general relativity, the earth clock should appear faster than yours. the range of the dilation depends on the multiples of c that you are travel ling in.

Answer 5

You do not need general relativity for this problem. Special relavity will do, because you can continue to use Euclidian geometry for all reference frames involved. GR deals with gravity.

And the answer is that the clock would appear progressively faster as you became progressively faster.

Answer 6

It relies upon upon how the solar vanishes. If the solar unexpectedly converted from remember to potential (and this adventure certainly got here approximately on the different area of the Universe) of direction you will possibly get waves and the Earth might return and forth. If the solar have been to grow to be a black hollow gravitons might return and forth and the Earth might stay the place it replaced into. If the solar replaced into to be pulled in direction of an very large accreting black hollow it ought to the two be pulled in and in step with risk by using or pulled previous and strengthen up being thrust into outer area, the Earth with it.

Answer 7

You would see the clock moving extremely fast.

This has been experimentally verified with the help of particle accelerators. There is no ambiguity once you include acceleration.

Answer 8

just think it like this if you get out of the universe there would be no time. i know it is hard to understand my answers but you have to think about it