- 1,695
I got a strange idea from the thread: "Question".
Ok, this is all very theoretical, but it is kind of interesting.
I am not sure how far telescopes from earth can see. But I know they can see very far. Because most stars are over 1,000 light years away. In fact, the milky way galaxy is 100,000 light years wide.
Anyways. Here is my way to look back in time. Considering we can see things with telescopes that are millions of light years away, it seems that something 10 light years away would be VERY visible. So, lets say you put a HUGE mirror. I mean a mirror that was as big as texas or alaska (theoretically speaking). So, what if you put this mirror 10 light years away. Also, ignoring the fact that it would take a VERY long time for us to place this mirror 10 light years away.
If the mirror is 10 light years away, the light from it that reaches us has taken 10 years to get from earth to the mirror, and 10 years to get back. So, if you looked towards that light with a high powered telescope you'd see the world 20 years ago. I am quite positive that we have telescoped that can see MUCH further than this in great detail.
Now all we have to do is get a mirror out in space.
Even if we could only get a mirror 1/2 a light year away. We could still look back in time 1 year and see much more detail.
What do you think?
Ok, this is all very theoretical, but it is kind of interesting.
I am not sure how far telescopes from earth can see. But I know they can see very far. Because most stars are over 1,000 light years away. In fact, the milky way galaxy is 100,000 light years wide.
Anyways. Here is my way to look back in time. Considering we can see things with telescopes that are millions of light years away, it seems that something 10 light years away would be VERY visible. So, lets say you put a HUGE mirror. I mean a mirror that was as big as texas or alaska (theoretically speaking). So, what if you put this mirror 10 light years away. Also, ignoring the fact that it would take a VERY long time for us to place this mirror 10 light years away.
If the mirror is 10 light years away, the light from it that reaches us has taken 10 years to get from earth to the mirror, and 10 years to get back. So, if you looked towards that light with a high powered telescope you'd see the world 20 years ago. I am quite positive that we have telescoped that can see MUCH further than this in great detail.
Now all we have to do is get a mirror out in space.
Even if we could only get a mirror 1/2 a light year away. We could still look back in time 1 year and see much more detail.
What do you think?