Explain Like I'm Five | Don't Panic!

1 readers

2 users here now

Explain Like I'm Five is the best forum and archive on the internet for layperson-friendly explanations. Don't Panic!.

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

bot@lemmit.online

ELI5: what are light years? (lemmit.online)

submitted 1 year ago by bot@lemmit.online to c/explainlikeimfive@lemmit.online

2 comments fedilink hide all child comments

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/explainlikeimfive by /u/josip333 on 2023-08-11 21:40:01.

I can't for the life of me grasp this concept. Why do they say that, when looking at the sun, we see where it was 8 minutes ago? Why, if someone where to look at earth being 65million light years away from, would they see dinosaurs?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] Psythik@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Simply put, it's the distance light travels in a year. We see the sun as it was 8 minutes ago, because the sun is 8 light minutes away from earth.

To answer your other question: Yes, someone more than 65 million light years away from earth would be able to see dinosaurs if they had a telescope powerful enough to see something that far away with that much clarity. Such a telescope does not exist as far as humans on earth are aware.