4 ms·
> but is not so fast on an astronomical scale. This is something I find incredibly counter-intuitive. At the photon’s reference frame (speed of light), time st
by acchow 2y ago
> but is not so fast on an astronomical scale.
This is something I find incredibly counter-intuitive. At the photon’s reference frame (speed of light), time stops. In our reference frame, I’d expect some kind of “divide by zero” error in nature, resulting in the infinite speed of light. But it’s not infinite. It’s just… some constant.
- kazinator 2y agoIt has to do with photons not having rest mass. If something with rest mass were to go at the speed of light, then you run to the numeric problems.
- mystified5016 2y agoIt's the maximum speed through space and time. The speed of light through time is just 1s/s. Einstein says space and time are equivalent, so as your velocity through space approaches c, your velocity through time approaches zero and vice-versa. The photon has zero velocity through time because its velocity through space is c. In its reference frame, no time passes between creation and destruction, but from all other reference frames it appears to be moving through space in discrete time but with high velocity.