When we look at an object that is 1,000 light- years away, we see it .
A)as it is right now, but it appears 1,000 times dimmer
B)as it was 1,000 years ago
C)looking just the same as our ancestors would have seen it 1,000 years ago
D)as it was 1,000 light- years ago

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since light travels at a finite speed (the speed of light), when we observe an object that is 1,000 light-years away, we are actually observing it as it was 1,000 years ago. The light that is reaching us from that object took 1,000 years to travel through space before it reached our eyes or instruments. Therefore, we are seeing the object as it was 1,000 years ago, not as it is currently.

When We Look at an Object That Is 1,000 Light-