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If we traveled light-years away from Earth, would we be able to view Earth's history?
So the sun is 8 light-minutes from Earth, which means it takes light 8 minutes to reach Earth. Therefore, we are looking at the sun as it was 8 minutes in the past. In comparison, light from the Andromeda galaxy takes about 2 million years to reach us so we are seeing Andromeda 2 million years in its past.
Now, for the sake of example, if someone was able to stand on the surface of the sun and view Earth, theoretically they should be seeing Earth 8 minutes into its past. Based on this logic (if it's even sound logic), if one were to build a space probe that could travel the speed of light or faster with a telescope that could still view Earth over the vast distance, would it be able to view Earth's past?
For example, say the probe traveled 67 light years away from Earth could we view the events leading up to the end of World War II?
Keep in mind I'm asking this question if it were possible for such a probe and telescope to be built.
Jeez people, this is not that difficult of a question. I'm not asking if it's possible, I'm asking that if a probe was 67 light years away would it be able to see Earth 67 years ago through its obviously very powerful telescope.
Instead of arguing that it's impossible for man to travel at the speed of light or that a telescope could not be made that powerful, you should have focused on the actual question I asked which was "would it be able to view Earth's past?"
Since all of you couldn't understand that I wasn't asking about the plausibility of the situation but instead was asking what the results would be, I'm giving the best answer to the only person who didn't try and answer the question but did understand what I was asking.
11 Answers
- Anonymous9 years agoFavorite Answer
i'm impressed with that genius mind of yours
Source(s): this is the best idea that i've never think of - GrahamLv 49 years ago
Well if it's travelling at the speed of light, and you travel 67 light years away, then you would see the events from when you left Earth happening. If you are travelling at the same rate as the light that left the Earth, then no matter how far you travelled, you would always see the events that occurred when you left. Isn't it kind if obvious.
If you, though, somehow teleported 67 light years away, then you would see 67 years into the past.
Oh, and you would need an incredibly powerful telescope.
Source(s): I - campbelp2002Lv 79 years ago
Yes, in theory. But you can't really do any of that.
No telescope can show small detail on Earth from 8 light minutes away, much less 67 light years away. And even if you had a device that could see such small detail, you can't go 67 light years away in less than 67 years.
- ?Lv 79 years ago
The probe would have to travel faster than light in order to "overtake" it. The light from Earth 67 years ago is already 67 light-years away from us.
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- John WLv 79 years ago
Let's see, the fastest that you can go as far as we know is the speed of light so by the time you get 67 years away, you can only see what happened when you left. You'll have to travel faster than the speed of light to view your past.
- Gary BLv 79 years ago
ON:LY if you traveled to that planet FASTER than the speed of light.
In order to "see history" you would have to, somehow, move fast enough to get IN FRONT OFthe light, actually getting to teh planet BEFORE the light from earth got there.
Sounds like a good idnea, but NOTHING with mass (like a man, or a spcae ship) can travel faster than light, so in reality this isn;t going to happen.
- ?Lv 79 years ago
Since you cannot travel faster than light the answer is no. However someone many light years away would indeed be able to see what to us once was. That is if they had the capacity to resolve the light that left here so long ago.
- 9 years ago
Well... it would see Earth *as it was* 67 years ago - but it would take you at least 67 years to get that far away - so... you're not seeing into Earth's past - but it's "present" would follow you while you traveled...
You would need to disappear from Earth, and reappear 67 light years away **immediately** for you to "see" 67 years ago.
- Tom SLv 79 years ago
1) How long would it take to get the probe there?
2) How long would the signal from the probe take to get to us.
See the problems with your idea?
- 9 years ago
no we cant, light need time to reach at the spot, we are humans, if we travel into another galaxy it also need some time. you cant revers or forward the time you can travel or you can go into it like Bermuda triangle, but you cant see the future or past.this is beyond our thoughts.
your question is quite impressive.
