Center of the Universe

From my blog.

Okay, so we know the speed of light.
We also assume that the universe is expanding.
(I'm going to assume for the moment that that assumption is fact.)

Given these two bits of information, it should be possible, through the observation of the speed of light in various directions, to determine not only our relative velocity traveling away from the mass center of the universe, but also to pinpoint the direction to the mass center of the universe.

If light speed is a constant. It would have to be using everything as a reference point. Everything, being the universe in total.

Hence, if you observe light traveling in a direction away from the center of the universe, while we are also traveling away from the center of the universe, the speed of light 'should' become the speed of light minus our velocity from the center of the universe.

In the opposing direction, you should observe that light traveling toward the center of the universes mass, would become the speed of light, plus our velocity as we travel from the center of the universe.

Hence, light speed should vary relative to earths velocity.

I have no means to test this of course. But it's worth pondering.

One would of course have to take into account earths rotation around the sun, our own spin, and any "wobble" that might be caused by the moon, and other objects. (We can't feasibly run an experiment on the surface of the sun.)
But the resulting discrepancy in the speed of light in different directions after the fact, should be the velocity at which we (our solar system) is traveling away from the mass center of the universe. And the direction of observation that yields the greatest discrepancy should indicate to us which direction the mass center of the universe is.

Should it not?

I figured I might post this in the science section, as I feel it might open up an interesting dialog.

Am I missing something? Or can we really determine the direction to the center of the universe, and calculate our own velocity traveling away from it?

Assuming 1. the Michelson-Morley experiment had a different result, and 2. the Universe has a center, then yes.

The speed of light is the same in any direction, whatever the speed of the observer is, and the expansion of the Universe does not involve every galaxy moving away from a specific point. That's hard to understand.

[edit on 2008-7-18 by nablator]

Originally posted by nablator
The speed of light is the same in any direction, whatever the speed of the observer is, and the expansion of the Universe does not involve every galaxy moving away from a specific point. That's hard to understand.
[edit on 2008-7-18 by nablator]

So, even when approaching the speed of light, to you, light is still passing you at it's original speed.

IE. If traveling light speed, light appears to pass you at 2x light speed?

Some things just aren't adding up for me now. If this is the case, then the only reason you can't exceed light speed, is because in relation to you, light speed just became, light speed + your speed? IE, theoretically, you can go as fast as you want, and light will just go faster?

Isn't there a black hole at the center of our galaxy?
And isnt that where the sun is moving to? The galactic center?

We have no idea what is at the center. And no we're not collapsing, or at least that's not what current evidence points to. We're supposively expanding.
I was trying to think of a way to measure the rate of expansion.


I was thinking over my ideas, and I pretty much just answered my own question.

Yes, nablator, you are correct.
I came to the realization (and I really should have just gone back and re-read the old theories), that it's not your speed that is in question, rather that time becomes a variable. Normally this wouldn't be possible, but when you take a step back and look at it all, mass becomes affected aswell.

Essentially, I just reached the same conclusion that others have already done a long time ago.


Yeah, as you reach the speed of light, your mass does approach infinite.

Man that was a brain teaser.

Originally posted by johnsky
So, even when approaching the speed of light, to you, light is still passing you at it's original speed.

Yes. This is known since 1887 (Michelson-Morley experiment). Special relativity (1905) incorporates the principle that the speed of light is the same for all inertial observers regardless of the state of motion of the source.

IE. If traveling light speed, light appears to pass you at 2x light speed?

No. See above.

reply to post by nablator


Don't worry man, I answered my own question just before you posted.

Thanks for your input though.