- #1
Vampyr
- 32
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If on Earth we detect the light from a supernova 100,000 light years away, we can say that the supernova happened 100,000 years ago (ignoring any dust etc. that might slow down the light). However, would all observers agree that the event happened 100,000 years ago? If a spaceship was traveling in the direction of the supernova at 0.99c at the same distance as the Earth, what would they see?
By my thinking, they see light still traveling at c, and they observe no difference in their own clock. However, they would see the distance to the supernova Lorentz contracted. Since the light traveled a shorter distance from the spaceship's perspecitive, the supernova happened sooner from the spaceship's perspective than the Earth's perspective. I.e. the spaceship sees the supernova less than 100,000 light years away but no other changes that offset this.
Is my thinking correct?
By my thinking, they see light still traveling at c, and they observe no difference in their own clock. However, they would see the distance to the supernova Lorentz contracted. Since the light traveled a shorter distance from the spaceship's perspecitive, the supernova happened sooner from the spaceship's perspective than the Earth's perspective. I.e. the spaceship sees the supernova less than 100,000 light years away but no other changes that offset this.
Is my thinking correct?