History Revealed @ NASA

More than 12 billion years of cosmic history are shown in this panoramic, full-color view of thousands of galaxies.

This image, taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, was made from mosaics taken in September and October 2009 with the newly installed Wide Field Camera 3 and in 2004 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys and covers a portion of the southern field of a large galaxy census called the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey, a deep-sky study by several observatories to trace the evolution of galaxies.

The image reveals galaxy shapes that appear increasingly chaotic at each earlier epoch, as galaxies grew through accretion, collisions and mergers, which range from the mature spirals and ellipticals in the foreground, to smaller, fainter, irregularly shaped galaxies, most of which are farther away, and therefore existed farther back in time. These smaller galaxies are considered the building blocks of the larger galaxies we see today.

The image shows a rich tapestry of 7,500 galaxies stretching back through most of the universe's history. The closest galaxies seen in the foreground emitted their observed light about a billion years ago. The farthest galaxies, a few of the very faint red specks, are seen as they appeared more than 13 billion years ago, or roughly 650 million years after the Big Bang. This mosaic spans a slice of space that is equal to about a third of the diameter of the full moon (10 arc minutes).

So the Hubble is now a time machine It can see back in time

uh, no.

Not "now," it always has been.

Technically, everything we see is history since we are seeing things as they were before the light has travelled to our eyes and has been processed by our brains.

^^^deep^^^

Kinda like those 15 second delays on Super Bowl halftime shows.

This is more global warming type propaganda disguised as science!

That's right, Pale, because we all know that light travel's instantaneously through space. Those who believe otherwise are selling something.

Actually, I've read that there is some scientific evidence that light has not always travelled at 186,000 mph and that it may have traveled faster at one time. This is because modern measurements rely upon radiation and that if the radiation is slowing down and the same rate as the speed of light, the measurements will remain constant. There is evidence that pre-modern measurements showed light speed was slowing. Of course, there will always be discussion and controversy. But that's what I read.

"Actually, I've read that there is some scientific evidence that light has not always travelled at 186,000 mph and that it may have traveled faster at one time."

Maybe it is getting tired?

Or maybe it's the high price of gas?

Or maybe "Light" is driving a Prius?

Perhaps, but since the speed of light is what is used to determine the age of the universe, the implication of light slowing down means the universe would actually be smaller (and younger) than we think.

You always see back in time. The way Hubble does it is that light takes time to travel to your eye. Lets use the sun for example. The light takes several minutes to reach you. Thus when you look at the sun you see it several minutes ago.

The same is true about everything. When a star is several million light years away, you are viewing it as it looked several million years ago. Its because the light that it generated at that moment is reaching you now. So how does Hubble see back further in time than you. By using magnification and still allowying the light that cassagrin telescopes can allow it magnifies things thus seeing things further away and furthre back in time.

Hey, that means entropy is further off than we thought! That is, if the universe is indeed a closed thermodynamic system.

This is false, or a slip of the tongue. Light has a speed to it and it does not travel through space instantly. It is the second fastest known object but not even close to instant.

What's the first?

black hole?

Interestingly enough black holes tend to move slowly (by the standard of light, but they really move super fast in the micro scheme of things), because they bend time and space around them. The fastest is some particle that has actually gone backwards in time in some tests. I cannot google search it where I am at, but you may be able to. It is actually true.

Tachyons.

That may be it. I thought there was something even faster though. So maybe light is not even 2nd.

The fastest known object is Ms.Gilmore on payday heading to the mall...

Or Deek downing a 5th a gin...

Sorry Happy. That is too fast for the naked eye to see. Not even sensors can confirm this. Although retailers seem to suggest this is an accurate statement.

Really?

So the key for an object to move back in time is the speed at which it moves through space?

I am not sure I understand your question and I do not know much about the concept of time in physics (or at least as it relates to going back in time). I always thought that technically if you exceed the speed of light you are going back in time. IE, it appears at the end before it appears at the beginning.