Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: LeGrande; Ethan Clive Osgoode
So how is it, in your conception of physics, that stars can end up behind us in the time it takes for their light to get to us? How is it that some stars you presently see are actually on the other side of the world?

Think of light as a bullet that has been shot from a star. Now when we look into very distant space we are seeing the 'bullets' that they fired a long time ago. Many of the stars that fired the bullets are now gone even though we still see them shining brightly in the sky. All of them have dramatically altered their position from where we seem to see them. Earth and the distant stars have had billions of years to move around, especially in an accelerating universe.

Oh, and the light from the Sun still takes 8.3 minutes to get to us : )

Ok, I might be getting into Fichorian physics here, but...
A star with a distance of 1 light year would have to orbit the observer at 3.14x the speed of light to get 180 degrees away from its apparent position.
(Or have gone directly through the observers position at 2x the speed of light.)
563 posted on 07/10/2008 12:05:53 PM PDT by Fichori (Primitive goat herder, Among those who kneel before a man; Standing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 553 | View Replies ]


To: Fichori; Ethan Clive Osgoode
A star with a distance of 1 light year would have to orbit the observer at 3.14x the speed of light to get 180 degrees away from its apparent position.

At least you agree that a stars apparent position is not its actual position. Ethan seems to think that even the most distant star is exactly where we see it.

564 posted on 07/10/2008 4:08:56 PM PDT by LeGrande
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 563 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson