Speed of light - Why we can't reach it

[Witness1970]

20 hours ago, Qapla said:

Question:

 

Since the light from a distant star is many lightyears away, what we see of that star happened sometime in the past because it takes time for that light to reach us. If you were able to travel towards that star, as you approached the star the light you would see would get newer until it becomes "real time" like the light from our sun. So, if you kept an observation device trained on the star while traveling, would you be able to observe the history of that star as you flew towards it?

 

Depending on the speed you were travelling and if you could actually observe the star clearly, the events you see would change progressively.  (Of course, as you got closer, you might see that sometime ago, the star went Nova or Supernova.)  The speed of the change in events you see would depend on the speed you travel.  If you could actually see the events, they would be compressed.  The amount of compression would, again, depend on the speed you were travelling.

 

Gravity waves have been proven to travel at the speed of light.  A device was set up that could detect gravity waves.  The gravity wave created due to the collision of 2 black holes was detected at the same time the light from that event reached earth.  Therefore, the gravity wave from the collision had to be travelling at the speed of light.

 

If the black hole at the center of the galaxy suddenly disappeared, the solar system, which is approximately 25,000 lightyears from the center of the galaxy, would continue to orbit the center of the galaxy for 25,000 years.  If the black hole at the center of the galaxy suddenly disappeared, the edge of the galaxy, which is 100,000 lightyears from the center of the galaxy, would continue to orbit the center of the galaxy for 100,000 years.

 

I have seen various estimates for the distance to Betelgeuse.  The most recent estimates put Betelgeuse some 450-500 LY from earth.  (I didn't know how to pronounce Betelgeuse until I heard an astronomer say what sounded like Beetlejuice.  That was an AHA moment for me a few years ago.)   Betelgeuse is a variable star, but recently the star has dimmed far more than usual.  Astronomers believe that the star might be going Supernova.  Regardless, whatever we are seeing is what happened about 450-500 years ago.

 

Sorry if I am getting off topic.  I just got carried away.  Maybe a new topic should be created?

Edited 13 hours ago by Witness1970