Stretching ships

Interstelar_Concordium_CM · **Mon May 05, 2003 7:01 pm Stretching ships**

when you engage warp drive, the ship streches, is that flash of light the ship arriving at the destination point or breaking the light barier?

PrankishSmart · **Tue May 06, 2003 1:04 am**

I think it is it breaking the light barrier.

Los · **Tue May 06, 2003 7:33 pm Re: Stretching ships**

webtaz99 · **Fri Nov 14, 2003 12:48 pm Stretching**

General Relativity predicts (it hasn't been observed yet) that as an object approaches the speed of light, it appears to lengthen - from the point of view of a non-moving observer. Theory holds that this stretching reaches infinity at C, just as the force needed to accelerate does.

Mostly this is the CGI guys playing with their toys, but it does have some basis in known physics.

Kyre · Commodore Joined: 15 Mar 2002 Posts: 1263

You like your Star Trek Tech, don't you webtaz99?

webtaz99 · **Sun Nov 16, 2003 12:24 am Ships stretching**

I got it backwards.

To an outside observer an object gets shorter (in the direction of motion) as it approaches C.

I wonder when (if) the CGI guys will catch on?

ketchup · Ensign Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 59

GhostOfAMemory · **Sun Nov 16, 2003 4:23 pm**

Why is it that when 2 ships are at warp, and someone looks out the window, they can see the other ship? Wouldn't light not bounce off of anything going faster than it...? Forgive me if I have this all wrong, I'm not much of a scientist

CaptJD · Disyple Joined: 16 Sep 2003 Posts: 2699 Location: Canada!

The ship appears to lengthen because in the star trek universe the ships are not in fact traveling faster than light but they are warping space hence the name warp drive. It uses gravity to bend space, making objects in front of you appear closer and objects behind you apear farther away, so the ships arn't in fact streching but there warping with the space. The flash of light is the ship dissapearing throught the folds of the warped space

.

asandhu2001 · **Fri Nov 28, 2003 11:34 pm**

Capt JD you are absolutely right. And the reason you can see other ships is because most people think that when you look outside you see your neighbour, so the same must be true of spaceships. I think they show the other ships because it would be too hard to explain to the layman, and it just looks better.

mr_glyn · **Sat Nov 29, 2003 7:13 am**

Lets try an experiment..

Get your hand. Ok
put it flat in front of you. (in the air)
hold it still and suddenly move it in one direction (left or right)

you will see you hand slightly stretch in the opisite direction.

or is it just me?

webtaz99 · **Sat Nov 29, 2003 9:21 pm**

It's just you dude.

Lay off the chemicals.

mr_glyn · **Mon Dec 01, 2003 7:12 am**

Damn "Doctor"

Captain Digness · Commander Joined: 04 Dec 2003 Posts: 418

Breaking the light bearier.

imzadi76 · **Tue Jan 20, 2004 4:38 pm light speed jump**

In real Psyics, the ship shouls appear shorter for a moment as the faster than light jump occurs. Of course, in real life matter cannot achieve light speed. Star Trek's warp explanation, while hokey, would explain the stretching of the ship a a warping of the space around the ship. That's why the engine nacelles are always positioned apart from the living quarters of the ship. If the warp nacelle was directly attached to the main part of the ship the warp effect would rip the ship apart.

John Connor · **Tue Jan 20, 2004 4:48 pm**

I think its when its about to jump into warp. Thats what i think.

Knuckles · **Sat Feb 21, 2004 10:42 pm Re: light speed jump**

imzadi76 · **Tue Feb 24, 2004 10:49 am Re: light speed jump**

Monkey · **Thu Apr 01, 2004 7:06 am**

but that one blueprint had a ship with the nacelles on the front of the ship