Movie 19 (:58)
Script : These
effects can be seen in the real universe. But the real speed of
light is very fast, three hundred thousand kilometers per second.
Because relativity effects are most pronounced at very high speeds,
the real visual effects of relativity must occur on a much larger
scale than the simulations you've just seen.
For example : light
delay in the "light echoes" of exploding stars, the
Doppler shift of fast-moving astronomical bodies, and the headlight
effect in the incredible brightness of gas jets directed towards
us.
Because light is
normally so fast, humans do not notice these effects. Someday,
it may be possible, though not practical, to build a space ship
with today's technology that could travel fast enough to see these
effects directly.