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speed of light

Light-travel-time Effect Finds New Astronomical Applications

February 25, 2013

Want to stay on top of all the space news? Follow @universetoday on Twitter Sometimes the tried and true methods are still the best, even in observational astronomy. Researchers at the University of Prague demonstrated this recently in a study of the eclipsing binary system V994 Herculis (V994 Her). Researchers P. Zasche and R. Uhla [...]

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The Alcubierre “Warp” Drive

August 21, 2011

It’s always a welcome thing to learn that certain ideas that are common to science fiction have a basis in science fact. Cryogenic freezers, laser guns, robots, silicate implants… and let’s not forget the warp drive! Believe it or not, this concept – alternately known as FTL (Faster-Than-Light), Hyperspace, Warp drive, et al – actually [...]

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How Does Light Travel?

February 8, 2011

You probably know that light and all electromagnetic radiation is a type of energy wave, but how does light travel especially when all other waves like sound need a medium to pass through? This is one of the great mysteries of physics. However, we do have some ideas about why light is able to travel [...]

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How Fast Does Light Travel

October 31, 2010

One of the most interesting constants and challenges in physics is the speed of light. The speed of light has a lot of important implications for physics from General Relativity to the search for a unified theory. Physicists and aeronautics engineers designing future space craft see it as the last great barrier to practical interstellar [...]

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Speed of Gravity

March 22, 2010

What is the speed of gravity? It’s 299,792,458 m/s. Seem familiar? Yep, it’s the speed of light (in a vacuum)! How do we know that that’s the speed of gravity? Not by direct measurement, yet, but by the great success of Einstein’s theory of general relativity (GR). In general, because it is so successful, and [...]

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