Does Light Slow Down During Long-Distance Space Travel?

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In summary, the speed of light is a constant and does not slow down during long distance travels. The concept of cosmological redshift can lead to lower frequency and energy of photons when communicating with distant planets, but the speed of light remains the same.
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eha
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Is it true? I've heard this news couple years ago: Not for the short distances but during long distance travels light slow downs once in a while. İt sounds logical to me, we shouldn't expect the light will move at the same speed all the times and everywhere. During it's billions of years travel it's speed might drop a little bit every once in a while. I remember this was a british based study but I'm not sure. Anybody knows more about this subject? Thanks in advance.
 
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eha said:
Is it true? I've heard this news couple years ago: Not for the short distances but during long distance travels light slow downs once in a while. İt sounds logical to me, we shouldn't expect the light will move at the same speed all the times and everywhere. During it's billions of years travel it's speed might drop a little bit every once in a while. I remember this was a british based study but I'm not sure. Anybody knows more about this subject? Thanks in advance.

No, the speed of light in vacuum is a constant. You may be misremembering the cosmological redshift: because of the expansion of the universe, distant galaxies are moving faster away from us than nearer ones, so their light is more heavily redshifted. This would mean that if you communicate with aliens on a far-away planet, those aliens would see photons of lower frequency and energy than someone on Earth. However, the aliens' measurements would give the same answer for the speed of light: 300 000 km/s (but in whatever units they use).
 

Related to Does Light Slow Down During Long-Distance Space Travel?

What is light slow down during long journeys?

Light slow down during long journeys refers to the phenomenon in which light appears to travel slower than its usual speed when observed from a moving reference frame.

Why does light slow down during long journeys?

This is due to the theory of relativity, which states that the speed of light is constant in all inertial reference frames. When an observer is moving at high speeds, the space and time around them become distorted, causing light to appear to travel slower.

How much does light slow down during long journeys?

The amount of light slow down during long journeys depends on the speed of the observer. As the speed approaches the speed of light, the amount of light slow down also increases. However, for everyday speeds, the difference is negligible and cannot be perceived.

How does light slow down affect our perception?

Light slow down during long journeys has a minimal effect on our perception as it is not noticeable in everyday situations. However, in extreme cases, such as traveling close to the speed of light, it can cause noticeable differences in the perception of time and distance.

Can light slow down be observed in other situations?

Yes, light slow down can also be observed in other situations, such as gravitational fields. According to the theory of general relativity, the presence of massive objects can also distort space and time, causing light to appear to travel slower.

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