- #1
bahamagreen
- 1,014
- 52
A space traveler is very happy to discover that after a long period of 1 g acceleration the measured distance to his destination has contracted substantially.
At some point he begins to plan for reversing thrust...
It come to him that if he reduces the relative speed between his craft and his destination, the contraction of the distance he has been happy about is going to diminish its effect.
It seems that as he slows the craft down, the space forward will be expanding, and the net distance to his destination might be increasing, in spite of the craft's constant progress toward his destination.
I've spent some time with some relativity calculator sites that show contraction factor scenarios - some of which result in changes of many light years in measured distance. None of them seem to be designed to look at this question...
Does the reduction in contraction effect (net distance expansion) always work out with the relative approach speed deceleration (distance covered) so that the math never allows the space traveler to believe he is not making headway toward his destination at all times?
At some point he begins to plan for reversing thrust...
It come to him that if he reduces the relative speed between his craft and his destination, the contraction of the distance he has been happy about is going to diminish its effect.
It seems that as he slows the craft down, the space forward will be expanding, and the net distance to his destination might be increasing, in spite of the craft's constant progress toward his destination.
I've spent some time with some relativity calculator sites that show contraction factor scenarios - some of which result in changes of many light years in measured distance. None of them seem to be designed to look at this question...
Does the reduction in contraction effect (net distance expansion) always work out with the relative approach speed deceleration (distance covered) so that the math never allows the space traveler to believe he is not making headway toward his destination at all times?