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What happens if I shine a torch when moving at the speed of light?

I am at the rear wall of my spaceship travelling at the speed of light. I switch on my flashlight. Will the light reach the front wall? Our readers debate the possibilities and impossibilities of this scenario

5 October 2022

Trip to the moon (lunar) concept - Long exposure night time rocket launch with solar eclipse

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I am at the rear wall of my spaceship travelling at the speed of light. I switch on my flashlight. Will the light reach the front wall?

Herman D’Hondt
Sydney, Australia

The quick answer to this question is simple: the scenario is impossible. Only massless objects can travel at the speed of light (c). A spacecraft obviously has mass, and hence can never travel at c. Let’s assume that you aren’t going quite that fast, say only 0.99999 c. Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity assures us that light always travels at c, no matter how we…

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