Editing 1440: Geese
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | [[Megan]] is commenting on a flock of geese passing overhead and | + | [[Megan]] is commenting on a flock of geese passing overhead and how the light from the geese reaching their eyes now must have come from hundreds of years ago, a fact which is commonly attributed to stars. [[Cueball]] points out the absurdity of Megan's statement by pointing out that the geese are only a few hundred yards away rather than a few hundred light years. Her misunderstanding is even more evident when she implies to Cueball that he is observing a past version of her, despite them being only a few feet apart. (Technically he is viewing ''a'' past version of her, but not one from "long ago"; if someone is two feet away from you, you are seeing them as they were roughly [http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=light+travel+time+for+2+feet 2 nanoseconds ago].) |
− | + | The title-text further confirms Megan's misconception that the geese are actually stars, which "live" for a few billion years before exploding, making it unlikely that any of them will have exploded within the last few hundred years. The further a star is from Earth, the longer it takes for the light emitted to reach us; but most stars visible with naked eye are within a thousand light-years of Earth, as discussed in [[1342: Ancient Stars]]. If, for example, {{w|Alpha Centauri}} were to explode, it would take about 4 years and 4 months before we witnessed it here on earth. | |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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:Megan: To think... we're seeing light that left those geese centuries ago. | :Megan: To think... we're seeing light that left those geese centuries ago. | ||
:Megan: By now, they could be long dead. | :Megan: By now, they could be long dead. | ||
− | :Cueball: ...What? They're a few hundred yards away. I hear them honking. | + | :Cueball: ... What? They're a few hundred yards away. I hear them honking. |
:Megan: Ah, yes. You're hearing how they once sounded. | :Megan: Ah, yes. You're hearing how they once sounded. | ||
:Cueball: You're very weird. | :Cueball: You're very weird. | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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