Light years away (partially off topic)

Heard a debate on the radio last weekend. They were saying that if you lived on a planet 130 light years away and you were looking today at the earth through a very powerful telescope, would you be able to see the Victorians going about their business? You might even see Queen Victoria?

Based upon this theory the possibilities are endless. Find a planet 157 light years away and you could watch the American Civil War but is the theory correct.

To find out I contacted someone in the Sheffield Astronomical Society and they posted the query on their website (btw for anyone interested in astronomy their fortnightly meetings/lectures are excellent and are only £3 for members to attend).

Their expert replied that if you had a telescope powerful enough then you would see today whatever was happening on earth at a time equivalent to the distance in light years away that you were observing from.

So anyone observing the earth from a planet just over 93 light years away would be able to see Sheffield United playing in the F A Cup Final. The only problem is that it would take another 93 light years for them to tell us that we had won!

How many light years away would you like to be and what would you like to observe?

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Originally Posted by silentjourneyhome

Heard a debate on the radio last weekend. They were saying that if you lived on a planet 130 light years away and you were looking today at the earth through a very powerful telescope, would you be able to see the Victorians going about their business? You might even see Queen Victoria?

Based upon this theory the possibilities are endless. Find a planet 157 light years away and you could watch the American Civil War but is the theory correct.

To find out I contacted someone in the Sheffield Astronomical Society and they posted the query on their website (btw for anyone interested in astronomy their fortnightly meetings/lectures are excellent and are only £3 for members to attend).

Their expert replied that if you had a telescope powerful enough then you would see today whatever was happening on earth at a time equivalent to the distance in light years away that you were observing from.

So anyone observing the earth from a planet just over 93 light years away would be able to see Sheffield United playing in the F A Cup Final. The only problem is that it would take another 93 light years for them to tell us that we had won!

How many light years away would you like to be and what would you like to observe?

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Love this.....what about a planet 2018 light years away....Jesus I won't go into that.

If this were possible & let's say the planet doing the observing could get the info to us instantly, via a wormhole or something, then I reckon the whole fabric of worldwide society would change....well, after a few wars & that, you know humans.

Flat Earthers would claim it all to be fake of course.

If you were 9 light months and 3 light days away looking through a telescope back at earth you would suddenly see an awful lot of seismic activity in Sheffield suddenly stop...;D:D

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Originally Posted by diode_blade

If you were 9 light months and 3 light days away looking through a telescope back at earth you would suddenly see an awful lot of seismic activity in Sheffield suddenly stop...;D:D

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Probably quicker & a lot less hassle to just use Youtube......for those ON Earth anyway, not so much for those on the planet looking through the telescope...they probably don't have Youtube.

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Originally Posted by aussieowl

Probably quicker & a lot less hassle to just use Youtube......for those ON Earth anyway, not so much for those on the planet looking through the telescope...they probably don't have Youtube.

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Always fascinated me the theory of space and infinity and that if you could stare out into space you would eventually see the back of your own head,? Or would you ?, Could you ???.

Look round corners (or spheres)

Very interested in stuff like this.

I was watching 'The Last Leg' the other day and Brian Cox was on. He reckons we can still see the aftermath of the big bang expanding out into space. They have calculated the speed of the expanse and the time it has taken to get to where it is etc.

I'm also intrigued by the theory that the faster something travels, the slower time goes for the person/object that isn't moving - making it theoretically possible to travel forward in time.

Fascinating, I'm sure you will ALL agree.

Roy Thinnes knows.

FFS what's this all about? :?