Can we use technology to view the past through stars?

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of viewing the past through observing stars and the possibility of using technology to magnify Earth from a distant star. The response mentions that we are always looking at the past, with the time difference varying depending on the distance and that magnifying an image does not change the time it takes for light to reach us.
  • #1
Hena Adlakha
2
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Hi:smile:. I am new here! My first question:
We are watching those stars which were present many years ago in the sky. So, basically, we are viewing the past.
Now, my question is that, if we develop some kind of technology through which we are on such a 'star' and are magnifying earth(just assume), would we be looking at the past?
 
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  • #2
Hena Adlakha said:
Hi:smile:. I am new here! My first question:
We are watching those stars which were present many years ago in the sky. So, basically, we are viewing the past.
Now, my question is that, if we develop some kind of technology through which we are on such a 'star' and are magnifying earth(just assume), would we be looking at the past?

Welcome to Physics Forums! You need to repost your question in the appropriate section. Suffice to say we are always looking at the past, usually it's just a few nanoseconds. When the astronauts were on the moon, they were seeing the Earth as it was 1.25 seconds earlier.
 
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Likes cnh1995 and Hena Adlakha
  • #3
PeroK said:
Welcome to Physics Forums! You need to repost your question in the appropriate section. Suffice to say we are always looking at the past, usually it's just a few nanoseconds. When the astronauts were on the moon, they were seeing the Earth as it was 1.25 seconds earlier.
Okay! Thank you very much for the fast response. I didn't know that it was just a matter of seconds. Thank you again.
 
  • #4
...er, it is a few seconds if you are looking at the moon. if you are looking at the stars, it is years to thousands of years.

And magnifying just makes an image bigger. it doesn't change how the light got to you.
 

Related to Can we use technology to view the past through stars?

1. How can we see the past through stars?

Stars are incredibly far away, some even billions of light years away. This means that the light we see from them took billions of years to reach us. By analyzing the light from stars, we can learn about their age, composition, and even how the universe looked in the past.

2. How do scientists determine the distance of stars?

Scientists use a variety of methods to determine the distance of stars, such as parallax, which measures the slight shift in a star's position as the Earth orbits the sun. Other methods include using the star's brightness and color to calculate its distance, or comparing it to other stars with known distances.

3. Can we see the birth or death of a star?

Yes, we can see the birth and death of stars through powerful telescopes and instruments. When a star is born, it emits strong radiation and can be seen as a bright object in the sky. When a star dies, it may explode in a supernova, which can also be observed by scientists.

4. How do stars change over time?

Stars go through different stages in their lifetime, depending on their mass. They start off as a cloud of gas and dust, called a nebula, and eventually collapse and ignite to become a star. As they age, they may expand and become a red giant before eventually dying and either becoming a white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole.

5. Can we see the same stars from different parts of the world?

Yes, we can see the same stars from different parts of the world, as long as they are visible in the night sky. However, the constellations and their positions in the sky may appear slightly different depending on the observer's location on Earth.

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