Light travels to us from light years away. so.....?

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Light travels to us from light years away. so.....?

why does it not attenuate, at least asymtotically, on the way to earth?

2007-03-13 18:02:15 · 2 answers · asked by syrious 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space

2 answers

most light we get on earth is directly from the sun and it takes seven minutes to get here. some light is blocked by other planets/moons but in comparison to the amount of light traveling this blocked light is minimal and insignificant.

2007-03-13 18:07:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋

Not sure what you mean by 'asymptotic' attenuiation. But light intensity (flux per unit area per second) certainly does fall off as 1/r², just like any other em field. And there is also some scattering and reflection caused by intersteller gas and dust.

HTH ☺

Doug

2007-03-13 18:08:45 · answer #2 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋