Thread: Light; I'm having a brain melt down

Hi,

If a space ship were traveling at 99% the speed of light directly towards us, how would it look to us?

Rusty

Originally Posted by rrw4rusty

Hi,

If a space ship were traveling at 99% the speed of light directly towards us, how would it look to us?

Rusty

I believe that if it were traveling DIRECTLY toward us... it would look normal. No changes such as contraction would be apparent to us. Plus, its only apparent movement to us does not travel near the speed of light, which is its growing size as it approaches. So, other than its growing size, it would not appear to be moving at all.

What it would look like if it were not traveling directly toward us would have the more interesting answer. :wink:

Considering it's small size and the fact that it is traveller just 1% below light speed, we would not "see it" till very late, as in under four minutes warning as it passes Pluto's orbit till it reaches Earth orbit.

If a ship was travelling faster than light, we would not see it till it dropped below light speed, so it would seem to just appear.

It would be bluer.

Originally Posted by KALSTER

It would be bluer.

It might even become purple.