If something was traveling faster than the speed of light could we see it?

Question

The reason I ask is because everyone says that nothing can travel faster but I always thought maybe we wouldn't know if something did because it would be beyond our visual abilities. Thanks

Answer 1

The speed of light is independent of the velocity of light.
Once emitted from the source, light travels with a speed of c = 3x10^8 m/s.

Considering your question regarding the visibility of fast moving objects, let us be in A, and the moving object is at an instant of time t0 be at B of an equilateral triangle ABC. The sides of the triangle are of length such that light travels this distance in one year. On first January of the year 2008, let the object be at A. Since light takes one year to reach us, we will see the object at A on 1st January of 2009.

Now suppose that the object moves with a speed twice that of the speed of light. (Of course, as per Einstein's' theory no object can go speeder than light}.
On June 2008, the object will reach the point B since it has twice the speed of light. The light emitted by the object from that position will take one year to reach us.
Therefore, we will see the object on June 2009 at this position.

Thus the visibility in no way hinders us when the speed of the object is more than the speed of light.

But the other considerations that the speed of light is measured the same by observers moving away or towards a beam of light suggests that no object cannot move speeder than light.

This concept is not connected with the visibility of light of moving objects moving with speed greater than the speed of light.

Irrespective of the speed being faster or slower than the speed of light, we can see it, because light from that object reaches us though at a latter time.

Answer 2

Things increasing to speeds faster than light is not a visual problem, it is proven mathematically.

In light of that, I would say yes to your question, maybe we cant travel higher than those speeds but maybe things already exsist there that we cant interact with. We as humans cant even fully explore our own planet. Also, we are only awere of about 5 percent of the known universe, the rest is dark energy or dark matter. Maybe the way it all works is that things that move faster than light make up another universe...that we cant interact with and cant phatom. Maybe we are moving faster than a speed limit in another universe, and the beings that exsist there beleive that or speed is unatainable...maybe they are another part of the dark energy. I guess in the end...i would say yes to your question becasue there is too much we dont know . It would be premature say no to things existing faster than light.

On the bright side, there physics is the conduit we are using to understand the universe and how it really behaves...we'll get there one day.

Answer 3

We can't see light in the first place.

If you see a lamp, can you see rays emanating from it? You don't, because light's moving too fast to be seen.

Something moving faster that the speed of light is theoretical, anyway.

Answer 4

we can not see not only faster than the speed of light but also light. Because there is only two reason to visible, one is self luminess while other is reflection under the effect of light. you can see anythig under both phenamena of above mentioned. it consist more concept in physics.

Answer 5

Yes, we could see "it". Our eyesight can see it because it focuses on the final position of any type of matter ( for fast moving ones like light).

Answer 6

Nope!