Note - This "theory" is based on the assumption that you travel faster than the speed of light. I KNOW IT'S NOT POSSIBLE. But I was just wondering IF it was possible...
Say you have this super massive telescope. Now, you travel much much faster than the speed of light to a far far planet and you take the telescope with you. When you get to the planet you see the Earth through the telescope. Theoretically wouldn't you be looking at the Earth that was millions of years ago? Since you have raced light to the planet you're at?
I know its crazy, but just a thought I had.
2007-08-06 10:43:42 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It's not crazy; in fact it's exactly right.
If you are 1 light year from Earth, you will see Earth as it was one year ago. If you are a thousand light years from Earth, you will see it as it was a thousand years ago. You might have trouble seeing any detail, or even seeing the planet at all, but if you could see it, you'd see it as it was in the past.
2007-08-06 10:49:05 · answer #1 · answered by lithiumdeuteride 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
In theory that would work. But in addition to not really being able to travel so fast, there is no telescope that can see things as small as a planet from so far away. We have not been able to make any telescope yet that can show us planets orbiting other stars, even very close stars only 10 or 20 light years away, much less any interesting detail on those planets.
2007-08-06 19:11:29 · answer #2 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Actually, you have discovered the "relative" part of Einstein's theory of relativity. He never said time travel was actually possible...what he said is that APPEARANCE of time travel was possible. (All things are relative to the observer...this is the part most people have trouble with.)
And that is because, with the powerful telescope you just described, as you approach the speed of light, whilst observing the Earth in your scope, you would notice all motion on Earth, and all clocks, appearing to slow down. When you hit the speed of light, you would see a still image in your telescope, since you are then traveling at the same velocity as the light from Earth. And, then, yes, if you surpassed the speed of light, you would see images in your telescope moving backward...given the APPEARANCE of going back in time.
But, nay, just keep a check on the clock aboard your spaceship, and it will tick along second-for-second, without any care to how fast you are going.
2007-08-06 19:14:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I dont know about this I mean, the earth doesnt produce light, it reflects it. If you were to have a telescope that could zoom in far enough to see people I dont think you would see dinosaurs or anything. I dont believe the image of dinosaur would be stored in light.
2007-08-06 20:47:48 · answer #4 · answered by Zyalater 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on how far away you are; but any image you see of Earth will be how Earth was when the light started it's journey to your scope.
On Alpha Centauri, right now, they're seeing how Earth was in 2003. (Assuming anyone's there looking, that is.)
2007-08-06 18:11:09 · answer #5 · answered by quantumclaustrophobe 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Worm holes that connect you across the universe in a manner or steping across a doorway.
We're talking a step, no futher and you are suddenly 1,000,000 trillioin light years away.
At that distance when you look for our own sun you won't see it because it hasn't formed yet at that position.
So you are seeing the sun more than 5 billion years ago
2007-08-06 20:46:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Interesting, but as you point out, impossible. Let's assume you could do that, you would not even be able to find Earth when you got to your planet.
2007-08-09 11:29:59 · answer #7 · answered by johnandeileen2000 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋