The "One-Way" Speed of Light is measured for the first time.
Jeremiah 33:25
Thus says the Lord, 'If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established,
Job 38:19
"Where is the way to the dwelling of light?..
That you may take it to its territory And that you may discern the paths to its home?
The observation of gravitational waves and gamma ray bursts from two neutron star–black hole coalescences in 2020 was a major breakthrough in astrophysics. It was the first time that gravitational waves and gamma ray bursts had been detected from such a system, and it provided new insights into the nature of these extreme objects.
One of the most intriguing aspects of these observations is that they confirm the one-way speed of light. The speed of light is a fundamental constant of nature, and it is the same in all frames of reference. This means that, regardless of how fast you are moving, light will always travel at the same speed relative to you.
The one-way speed of light has been tested many times, but it has never been directly confirmed. This is because it is impossible to measure the speed of light in one direction. However, the observation of gravitational waves and gamma rays from neutron star–black hole coalescences provides a way to test the one-way speed of light.
When two massive objects merge, they emit gravitational waves. These waves travel at the speed of light, and they carry information about the objects that produced them. By measuring the arrival time of the gravitational waves from a neutron star–black hole coalescence, scientists can calculate the distance between the objects and their relative velocities. As well they can measure the gamma ray bursts from neutron stars released by the coalescence. The gravity wave and gamma ray burst arrived at the same time, confirming gravity and light travel at the same speed mainly the speed of light in a one-way measurement.
If the one-way speed of light is not constant, then the arrival time of the gravitational waves would depend on the direction of the waves relative to the Earth. However, the observations of gravitational waves from neutron star–black hole coalescences have not shown any evidence of this. This suggests that the one-way speed of light is indeed constant.
How the Observation of Gravitational Waves from Neutron Star–Black Hole Coalescences Confirms the One-Way Speed of Light
To understand how the observation of gravitational waves from neutron star–black hole coalescences confirms the one-way speed of light, it is helpful to consider a simple example. Suppose there are two observers, Alice and Bob, who are moving in opposite directions at the same speed. Alice sees a beam of light emitted from a source in front of her, and Bob sees the same beam of light emitted from a source in front of him.
According to the principle of relativity, the laws of physics must be the same for all observers in uniform motion. This means that Alice and Bob must both measure the same speed for the beam of light. However, if the one-way speed of light is not constant, then Alice and Bob would measure different speeds for the beam of light.
This is because the speed of light in one direction would be different from the speed of light in the other direction. This would mean that the beam of light would reach Alice and Bob at different times, even though they are both moving at the same speed.
However, the observation of gravitational waves from neutron star–black hole coalescences has shown that this does not happen. The arrival time of the gravitational waves is the same for all observers, regardless of their direction of motion. This suggests that the one-way speed of light is indeed constant.
Implications of the Confirmation of the One-Way Speed of Light
The confirmation of the one-way speed of light has a number of important implications. First, it means that the laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion (Jer 33). This is a fundamental principle of relativity, and it is essential for our understanding of the universe.
Second, the confirmation of the one-way speed of light means that we can use gravitational waves to measure the distance to other objects in the universe. This is because the speed of gravitational waves is known, so we can calculate the distance to an object by measuring the arrival time of the gravitational waves from that object.
Finally, the confirmation of the one-way speed of light may have implications for our understanding of the nature of dark energy. Dark energy is a mysterious force that is causing the universe to expand at an accelerating rate. 12 times in the OT it declares God is streatching apart the heavens. Scientists are still trying to understand what dark energy is and how it works.
However, the confirmation of the one-way speed of light suggests that dark energy may be related to the asymmetry between the forward and backward directions in time. This is because the one-way speed of light is the only known physical quantity that is different in the forward and backward directions in time.
Conclusion
The observation of gravitational waves and gamma ray bursts from two neutron star–black hole coalescences is a major breakthrough in astrophysics. It has provided new insights into the nature of these extreme objects, and it has also confirmed the one-way speed of light.
The confirmation of the one-way speed of light has a number of important implications. First, it means that the laws of physics are the (Jer 34) same for all observers in uniform motion
Ref: "Observation of Gravitational Waves from Two Neutron Star–Black Hole Coalescences"
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