Speed of light ... do you see your reflection?

Question

Let's say you're flying in an aircraft that's traveling the speed of light. Assuming you're able, you get up and go to the bathroom and look into the mirror... do you see your reflection?

Answer 1

Theoretically, if you were somehow going at the speed of light, you would be unable to get up and look at a mirror because of time dilation for example. An object going at the speed of light does not experience time, so if you went at the speed of light you would be at your destination before you were able to even think of testing whether or not you have a reflection. Of course to outside observers time would pass and they would perceive your journey lasting for quite some time.

Answer 2

Yes. However, keep in mind that when you actually reach the speed of light (which is impossible since it requires an infinite amount of energy), some strange things happen. You would see your reflection, but in the meantime, the Universe would have shrunk to a single plane in your direction of travel, your vehicle would appear to extend all the way around the Universe, and everything outside would have come to a complete stop. However, if you slowed back down to below the speed of light again, you would find that the rest of the Universe had already passed through eternity and ended ages ago.

Answer 3

You really couldn't travel at the speed of light. There's no such thing as relative speed when it comes to light. If you were traveling at 99% of the speed of light, light would still be traveling at the speed of light faster than you. It would not appear that light was only traveling at 1% its normal speed. To answer your question, yes.

Answer 4

Perhaps. But you'd be peeing into yourself. So,slowdown untill you're done.on edit. Why the hands down? IF you are travelling the speed of light Time/space is warped where gravity is realitive to mass/speed. Therefore one could not pee as the gravity needed to pee would not be present.on more edit. However,quantum says anything is possible because everything is random. So,actually You could break the laws of physics(as we know them) and do whatever You wish.IF you knew how to do it.On much More edit. Sorry David D you are wrong. To 'an observer' time/space would appear the same -you cannot calculate a moving object of both it's speed and it's place in time/space. You can do only one,not the other.You can only predict one or the other after observation which takes time. Therefore.an observer cannot experience a speed of light object.To finish.....To travel at light speed is to use the warp of space/time. Therefore,the object (the spaceplane) would not 'move'. Space/time would be altered(moved) or warped beyond an observable horizon. You have to grasp space/time and how gravity warps space/time to get beyond fanciful questions. However, in order to provide a viable answer,You need to know basic physics which with a highschool education is quite adaquate.Given an open mind,of course.

Answer 5

yes because the mirror in the aircraft is also traveling at the speed of light. But if u looked outside the aircraft into a huge stationary mirror....well theoretically no u wouldnt be able to see it

Answer 6

Assuming it is possible to travel faster than light:



a) If the mirror is on the aircraft the you are both faster than light, and therefore, you are traveling together and you can see yourself.



b) If the mirror were not moving with you, then I think you wouldn't be able to.



I may be incorrect so verify this online.

Answer 7

As the aircraft approaches the speed of light the mass of the aircraft and everything in the aircraft will approach infinity. The advance of time will also approach zero. The speed of light will remain the same for an external observer and for the occupants of the aircraft.

Answer 8

There's no such thing as "traveling the speed of light". There's only "traveling the speed of light relative to object Z"



From Earth's point of view, the airplane cannot travel the speed of light relative to Earth. It can get arbitrarily close (99.9999%), but it can never get to 100%.



From the plane's point of view, the speed of light is measured to be the same thing as always, 3*10^8 m/s. At sufficient airplane velocities (relative to Earth), Earth will seem to be moving much faster than light speed, due to time dilation.

Answer 9

At the speed of light time stops so you wouldn't have time to go look at the mirror or move, everything slows down to zero.