Thanks for the snapshots Hubble

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Another interesting one to consider is what the universe would look like if you were somehow able to travel at the speed of light.

Light traveling in the same direction as you would always be with you. Light traveling in the same direction as you, but behind you, would never reach you. Light traveling on an intersecting path would be received, but it'd be gone in an instant.

[hooskins]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

Another interesting one to consider is what the universe would look like if you were somehow able to travel at the speed of light.

Light traveling in the same direction as you would always be with you. Light traveling in the same direction as you, but behind you, would never reach you. Light traveling on an intersecting path would be received, but it'd be gone in an instant.

I am pretty sure something like the ending scene of Space Odyssey 2001 would happen.

[steveo395]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

Another interesting one to consider is what the universe would look like if you were somehow able to travel at the speed of light.

Light traveling in the same direction as you would always be with you. Light traveling in the same direction as you, but behind you, would never reach you. Light traveling on an intersecting path would be received, but it'd be gone in an instant.

The speed of light is always constant no matter what speed you are going. As your speed approaches the speed of light, time slows down. Since speed is distance/time, the greater distance light will have to travel will balance out with the slowed down time, so the speed of light will always stay the same. This means light that is behind you will still reach you.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

Another interesting one to consider is what the universe would look like if you were somehow able to travel at the speed of light.

Light traveling in the same direction as you would always be with you. Light traveling in the same direction as you, but behind you, would never reach you. Light traveling on an intersecting path would be received, but it'd be gone in an instant.

If you were traveling at the speed of light, you would see the following:

- Look directly behind you and see exactly what you saw the instant you jumped to the speed of light. Everything would appear to be frozen in time.

- Look directly ahead of you and see things happening in fast forward. Light from events happening in front of you would come towards you at the speed of light, while you travel towards it at the speed of light. Things will appear to be moving in slow motion.

- Once you pass by said thing, look backwards and you'll see it frozen in time as it looked at the instant you went by it.

- Look to either side and see pure blackness except for instantaneous flashes of events occurring as you briefly intersect the light's path. You'd see a strobe effect.

Trippy.

Said differently, time for things behind you would appear to stop. Time for things in front of you would appear to speed up.

[Trample the Elderly]

I'll treasure the pictures but I'd rather have the astronauts home same.

[RobH4413]

If your driving 60mph towards a car that's traveling 60mph, it is like your traveling 120 mph towards the car. With the speed of light, this is not true.

Speed of light is 299,792,458 mps, so if your traveling 60mps towards the speed of light.... the light is still coming at you at a constant 299,792,458 mps.


Nutso.

[GMScud]

The speed of light is 186,282 miles per SECOND. That means in one second you could travel the circumference of the planet earth (24,901 miles) 7.5 times. In one second. That's crazy.

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by GMScud

The speed of light is 186,282 miles per SECOND. That means in one second you could travel the circumference of the planet earth (24,901 miles) 7.5 times. In one second. That's crazy.

Yeah, and there'd be time dilation, as steveo alluded to. I'm not sure of the math, but imagine orbiting Earth at the speed of light for a few weeks. Years would have passed on Earth, but for you it has only been a few weeks.

This is basically what makes long-distance space travel impractical. If we were able to travel the speed of light, it'd still take a lifetime to reach the nearest galaxy. All the while, time would be passing much quicker on Earth. So, if it takes 75 years at the speed of light to reach Andromeda, thousands of years could be passing on Earth during your voyage. Hell, the human race could become extinct before you even reached your destination. Warp drive is the only way!

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

Yeah, and there'd be time dilation, as steveo alluded to. I'm not sure of the math, but imagine orbiting Earth at the speed of light for a few weeks. Years would have passed on Earth, but for you it has only been a few weeks.

This is basically what makes long-distance space travel impractical. If we were able to travel the speed of light, it'd still take a lifetime to reach the nearest galaxy. All the while, time would be passing much quicker on Earth. So, if it takes 75 years at the speed of light to reach Andromeda, thousands of years could be passing on Earth during your voyage. Hell, the human race could become extinct before you even reached your destination. Warp drive is the only way!

It's what also makes it highly unlikely that if there were life outside of earth (civilized life) that we could ever communicate with them. Because they're either way way way ahead of us, or us of them.