Image:CelestialSphere.jpg

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• Image
• File history
• File links

No higher resolution available.
CelestialSphere.jpg‎ (283 × 253 pixels, file size: 20 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

[edit] Summary

This is a demonstration which shows the magnified effect of what would have happened if Earth moved around the Sun at the speed of 0.7c. This model allows us to see the distortion in the celestial sphere. The change in color is due to the Doppler effect. Black arrow shows direction of movement. The North Star would be seen at an angle to its usual place. Animation: Media:CelestialSphere.gif

In this diagram, the blue point represents the observer. The x,y-plane is represented by yellow graph paper. As the observer accelerates, he sees the graph paper change colors. Also he sees the distortion of the x,y-grid due to the aberration of light. The black vertical line is the y-axis. The observer accelerates along the x-axis Animation: Media:XYCoordinates.gif

Next pictures show a model of movement through a subway tunnel at an increasing speed. Observer would not only see changes in colors but the outer walls will also appear convex. This convex appearance is due to seeing parts of the tunnel at different moments in time because of the finite speed of light. This effect is called aberration of light.

On this image the observer (blue point) is inside the subway. Velocity is zero. This is the first frame of an animated model of movement through a subway tunnel at an increasing speed.
Animation: Media:RelSubway2.gif

This is an image of the same model. It captures the time when the observer's (blue point) velocity is equal to 0.7 of the speed of light.
Animation: Media:RelSubway2.gif

The outside view of the subway from the same model. However, no observer can see the tunnel like this.

This images shows a sphere moving at 0.7c relative to a stationary observer (blue point). Curved lines represent the xy grid coordinates of a moving system.

Sphere moving towards observer.
Animation: Media:SphereAberration01.gif

View of observer inside the sphere.
Animation: Media:SphereAberration01.gif

Sphere moving away from observer.
Animation: Media:SphereAberration01.gif

All of these images are graphical solutions produced from an accurate mathematical model based on the Lorentz transformation.

[edit] Licensing

I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. Subject to disclaimers.

File history

Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time.

• Search for duplicate files
• Edit this file using an external application

  See the setup instructions for more information.

File links