What is the andromeda paradox?
The Andromeda Paradox is a thought experiment in special relativity illustrating how simultaneity is relative. It involves two observers moving relative to each other, say on Earth, with one walking toward the Andromeda galaxy and the other away from it. Due to the relativity of simultaneity, their "now" slices—events they consider simultaneous—differ.
For the observer moving toward Andromeda, their "present" includes events in Andromeda's future compared to the other observer’s "present." The time difference can be significant—potentially days or years—depending on their relative velocity and the distance to Andromeda (about 2.5 million light-years). This arises because light signals from Andromeda take time to reach Earth, and the observers' motion tilts their planes of simultaneity in spacetime.
The paradox highlights that events simultaneous for one observer may not be for another, challenging intuitive notions of a universal "now." It’s not a true paradox but a consequence of Einstein’s theory, where time and simultaneity depend on the observer’s frame of reference.
No comments:
Post a Comment