I guess my question is really about my inability to reconcile what I read/see and my logic. If I’m in the wrong forum, I apologize.
How it possible to see beautifully formed spiral galaxies, based on light time travel and the optical observation (picture). I realize that if the galaxy is in a vertical possession, relative to us, the light from stars in the top of the picture reaches us at the same rate as the ones on the bottom and sides. My question is when you see a picture of a galaxy that is almost horizontal relative to us, Andromeda for example; you still see the same spiral shape.
If it takes 100,000 years for light to cross the Milky Way then it should take longer in Andromeda. Shouldn’t the stars in back, or farther from us be in a different location, by more than 100,000 years, then what the picture shows? Shouldn’t we be seeing a distorted image? Yet when I look at a picture of Andromeda it shows it shaped typical to a spiral galaxy in a vertical possession.
Thank you,
Zee
Light time travel/optical observations
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Posted 2 months ago #
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I agree with your logic of thinking that the image of a spiral galaxy that appears to be almost horizontal to us on Earth should be somewhat distorted based on the speed of light, the size of the galaxy and the distance between us and the galaxy. I am not an expert at this; however, two thoughts come to mind: (1) perhaps the image that you see is already somewhat distorted and (2) perhaps the speed of rotation of the spiral galaxy is insignificant in comparison to its size and the time it takes light to reach us from the galaxy.
Posted 1 month ago #
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