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Welcome back to Week 19’s #CozySpaceFactofTheWeek and the final submission for the #GroyperSeason July Space Competition! Submission by @BearGroyper
While light may take a certain amount of time to reach a destination, the photons themselves experience ZERO passage of time!
SMB
While light may take a certain amount of time to reach a destination, the photons themselves experience ZERO passage of time!
SMB
1) Because of the relations between mass and energy, ALL massless objects have to travel at the speed of light.
When a proton for instance is made in the sun’s core for example, it requires several tens of thousands of years of reabsoprtion and emission to reach the surface-
When a proton for instance is made in the sun’s core for example, it requires several tens of thousands of years of reabsoprtion and emission to reach the surface-
2) However once it reaches the surface and moves in all directions, the photons themselves do not experience a sort of aging process from it’s own perspective.
Instead, the proton itself would feel that arrival to it’s destination would be instantaneous. Heres a little drawing:
Instead, the proton itself would feel that arrival to it’s destination would be instantaneous. Heres a little drawing:
3) The red blob being the light’s origin. The protons themselves experience no passage of time and by perspective arrive instantly from their distant origin point, while we see it as the time passage of 8 minutes.
In addition, it experiences ZERO distance. Defer to above ^
In addition, it experiences ZERO distance. Defer to above ^
4) But a more interesting question is why exactly this happens?
Well to start, The closer you get to light speed, the less time you experience and the shorter a distance you experience. You may recall that these numbers begin to approach zero.
Well to start, The closer you get to light speed, the less time you experience and the shorter a distance you experience. You may recall that these numbers begin to approach zero.
5) The closer the clock is to the source of gravitation, the slower time passes; the farther away the clock is from gravity, the faster time will pass. According to relativity, mass can never move through the Universe at light speed.
6) An excellent example for this can be seen in interstellar, where at the point our main characters leave the space ship for the planet orbiting the black hole. While they were gone for just one or two hours, the crew member who remained in the ship experienced 24 years.
7) The closer the clock is to the source of gravitation, the slower time passes; the farther away the clock is from gravity, the faster time will pass. According to relativity, MASS can never move through the Universe at light speed, which is why MASSLESS objects can.
8) Another example is a situation where one would pass the event horizon of a black hole.
From perspective of falling in, time would pass instantly. For those watching, the person would simply stop moving and possibly even disappear due to the distortion of light from gravity.
From perspective of falling in, time would pass instantly. For those watching, the person would simply stop moving and possibly even disappear due to the distortion of light from gravity.
9) Another question you may ask is what about redshift/black shift?
Well, this is simple. While the colors of the photons are shifted, the photons themselves are not actually gone. Since energy cannot be destroyed, they are still present, albeit a different color.
Well, this is simple. While the colors of the photons are shifted, the photons themselves are not actually gone. Since energy cannot be destroyed, they are still present, albeit a different color.
10) To conclude, while it’s best not to think about the existential horrors of experiencing relatively instant travel across the universe on a constant basis, it is best to understand how exactly light moves, and what circumstances it is effected.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s Space Fact! Thank you again to @BearGroyper for his submission!
Don’t forget, next week we vote on the winner, who will receive a prize of T W E N T Y dollars!
Stay cozy!
Don’t forget, next week we vote on the winner, who will receive a prize of T W E N T Y dollars!
Stay cozy!