EbolaHost said:traveling at the ~speed of light leads to length contraction.
based on that wouldn't a 20AU path be shorter if traveled at speeds near the speed of light ?
The speed of light is a fundamental constant in physics, denoted by the letter "c". In a vacuum, it has a fixed value of approximately 299,792,458 meters per second (m/s). This means that in one second, light can travel almost 300 million meters.
According to the theory of relativity, the speed of light is considered the ultimate speed limit in the universe. This is because as an object approaches the speed of light, its mass increases infinitely and it would require an infinite amount of energy to accelerate it further. Therefore, nothing can travel faster than the speed of light.
Length contraction is a phenomenon that occurs when an object moves at speeds close to the speed of light. As an object's velocity increases, its length in the direction of motion appears to decrease from the perspective of an observer. This is a consequence of the time and space being relative to the observer's frame of reference.
Length contraction is directly related to the speed of light because it is a consequence of the theory of relativity, which states that the speed of light is the same for all observers regardless of their frame of reference. Therefore, an observer moving at a high speed relative to an object will measure its length to be shorter due to the effects of length contraction.
20AU paths refer to distances that are 20 astronomical units (AU) long, where 1 AU is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. These paths are used in experiments and thought experiments to illustrate the effects of length contraction and the constancy of the speed of light. They help us better understand the implications of the theory of relativity and its role in understanding the behavior of objects at high speeds.